


Within The Shadows Part 1 - From Fear To Infinity

by Shiguresan



Series: Within the Shadows [1]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Complete, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-03-14
Updated: 2006-03-14
Packaged: 2018-01-09 05:27:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 70,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1142011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiguresan/pseuds/Shiguresan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new demonic power is rising, and it's targeted Inuyasha. Now the half-demon has to listen to his older brother to find out how to protect those he loves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Entropy of the Grave

**Author's Note:**

> Written when I was only 14 so be kind. I've advanced much since then...
> 
> Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all it's wonderfulness belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ. The Chapter titles, Plot and any extra characters, belong to me. The theory on the broken sunset and sunrise that the characters tell here, and any historic fiction are also mine. The first part of the title, 'Within the shadow' belongs to me, but 'From Fear To Eternity' is the episode of Angel that I was watching when I started writing, hence the name borrowing. It belongs to Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt and the writer of that specific episode. So no stealing from me, (not that you would I'm sure) and no sueing me! (I don't care if I spelt that right!)

_Entropy of the Grave_  
One

 

A foreboding aura radiated through the dense air of the tomb, so full of dust and ashes of the fallen warriors that once guarded it, that the intruders upon this sacred rest could barely breathe. The leader, shrouded in a dark cloak lead the way, a fiery torch, the only source of light, burning brightly as he held it before him, as he walked fearless through the shadowy labyrinth ahead of he and his followers. He stepped noiselessly along the dark passages, brushing aside the cobwebs from his path, and his crimson eyes darting alertly from one side of the passage to the next, watchful for any signs of any unearthly creatures, keeping them company in the darkness. His followers kept close to their leader’s side, each fearing what they knew, what they could hear in the darkness, watching them, fearing what their master was about to unleash, but most of all, fearing what their master had so easily overlooked in his _great_ plan.  
  
The most cowardice of the followers, skulked fearfully in his master’s shadow; he clung like a leech to powerful creatures, doing their bidding to keep himself from being killed. Indeed, he was so widely pathetic, and widely known as a traitor, that few trusted him, and those that did only used him for his wide knowledge of the feudal era, or of the mystic forces he knew so much of, but never was able to even witness. This master sneered at his most close follower, a small, thin, greying creature; the slithering serpent’s company revolting him to his very skin. ‘Don’t keep so close to me you revolting creature!’ snapped the master, and his servant nodded, walking now a few more paces behind his superior.  
  
Suddenly, the master stopped, the men duplicating his actions. The men looked to their master questioningly, but none dared too speak. Finally, after the man gazed about a while, he spoke. ‘You,’ he barked at one of his men, not really looking at him. The man stepped forward, bowing his head in respect for his master. ‘My vision is obscured here; the floor is not visible to my eyes through the mist.’ The warrior looked at him in bewilderment. ‘Walk before me.’ The warrior looked at him in horror, but knew a worse fate would befall him should he disobey an order, and he stepped forward. His fellow warriors turned away as their companion disappeared through the floor, falling, falling, screaming, before meeting the pit’s bottom, a revolting _SPLAT_ echoing in his companion’s ears. The master grinned evilly, and held the torch before him, turning down the other path. The men followed their master, wondering how many more he would kill before they reached what their master sought, and were killed by _that_ instead.  
  
Eventually, their master lead them out of the labyrinth of narrow tunnels and hidden passages, and they came to an enormous almost circular room. It was dark, and dank, and their master held the torch up higher, revealing to them in the dim light, that there were runes on the wall, (though they were impossible to read in the darkness). They watched through the dimness, as the master flicked his spindly, pale hands, and all the torches in the room lit up, burning brightly. With this movement though, the torch he held burned into an eerie blue flame and he held it up to the wall, reading the runes. ‘ _Leocht Demaneire Naisomentum_ , _A hole in the World,_ ’ the man’s malicious voice echoed round his reluctant followers, and their breaths were caught in their throats.  
‘A…hole sir?’ asked the pathetic creature lurking in his shadow.  
‘The pool, I summoned the Temple of Lost Souls to this plain, and in doing so I created a ripple effect, and that is what I seek here, the Black mirror, the hole in this existence.’  
‘Sir,’ asked one of the men, interrupting the evil pensiveness their master had been lost in at staring at the archaic runes. ‘It was madness to come here and summon the Temple of Lost Souls to this realm after it was banished, but to continue with-’ the man cut off as his master turned to face him, a foreboding evilness in his grey eyes.  
‘Yes, what was it that you were saying?’ he asked, all too calmly.  
‘I was just…to awaken the pool is to welcome death sir, is it wise to bring forth that which-’ He choked on the remainder of his words, as his master’s clawed hand enclosed around his throat, holding him off the ground.  
  
The man threw his follower’s lifeless corpse carelessly to the ground, and turned back to the runes. After studying them in silence for a while, he turned to the centre of the room, and it was then that the others noticed something seriously wrong. In the centre of the room there sat what their master sought, and what they themselves most feared. Shallow steps lead down into the black, menacing waters of the pool from all sides, the surface of the unknown substance reflecting the image of the room exactly, as if it were a mirror, with not ripple spoiling its surface. The man stood so close to the steps of the pool, the men thought he might step in at any moment, but he did not. He held the fiery torch in his clawed hand up higher, before slinging it into the black waters. The fire of the torch was not extinguished, but instead the sapphire flames spread over the black surface, like fire on oil, and the towering inferno rose as high as the ceiling would allow. Within the fire’s core, the warriors were sure they saw something, and their hearts stopped as they realized what that something was. The ominous shadow of a man’s body stood within the flames, and his outline became ever so clear as the flames grew into an even brighter blue.  
  
The warriors stepped nervously backwards as their master’s voice echoed throughout the temple, his tongue twisted in the words so ancient that they could not interpret. All of a sudden, the outline of the man within the flames combusted, and the ashes flew from the flames and around the warriors. The men choked harshly on the hot, almost burning ashes as they breathed them in, soon finding themselves desperate for air as the ashes polluted their lungs. Suddenly the blue flames died before their eyes, and the ashes swirled around amidst them, before flying over the blackness of the pool. The ashes came together once more, and forming to the men’s horror, the form of a man’s body. The man breathed in huskily, and stared about at the men. His body did not touch the surface of the water; he floated just above it, though no reflection of him lay in the black mirror beneath him. The man (or whatever he was) did not seem to be tiring of gazing at the men before him, sizing up his new enemy, or perhaps choosing in which order they would die.  
‘K…Kazuya!’ whispered one of the warriors desperately to his companions. The man twitched back to reality, staring with narrowing crimson eyes at hearing his name. He trod slowly up the steps of the pool, stopping just inches from the master of the men.  
  
The sorcerer stared fearlessly at the creature he had summoned, not daunted by the evil, malicious deeds this demon was capable of.  
‘Kazuya,’ the sorcerer asked, his voice stronger than before. Kazuya nodded lightly, a sadistic grin upon his face.  
‘What foolish man dare summon the stone tomb, the Temple of Lost Souls where I was sealed?’ asked Kazuya, his voice husky at first as it became readjusted to speech after centuries of imprisonment.  
‘I am Zuihitsu, the sorcerer; I summoned you,’ replied the man, still not breaking his bold composure.  
‘It took those priests every dribble of power they had to seal me, and to rid the world of this temple. For what foolish purpose would you bring it forth?’  
‘I want this world at my feet, I shall wreak the havoc I want upon it and become its ruler; and you, Kazuya, will help me do this.' It was then, that Kazuya let out a deep laughter, which caused the men to quiver with fear.  
‘I’m afraid that I don’t do as I’m told.’  
‘But…I summoned you!’ insisted Zuihitsu, his voice becoming a little desperate.  
‘And…for that, I will reward you, and make your death…quick!’ He reached forward, and twisted the sorcerer’s neck sharply, making it crack, and he fell to the floor, dead.  
  
The warriors stared in horror, and turned to run, but they were not quick enough. The men were at a lost for what had happened, their master and Kazuya had spoken in the same foreign words Zuihitsu had chanted earlier, and all of a sudden, the demon was on his prophesized-killing rampage. Balls of burning, blue flames erupted from Kazuya’s fingertips, breaking through the chests of the fleeing men, burning their hearts from their bodies. The quivering wimp that was Nikaido cowered behind the rampaging demon in the shadows, watching guiltlessly as his companions were all murdered one by one, until he was the only one left alive. Suddenly Nikaido found that Kazuya’s form now stood before him, towering above him.  
‘You, get up!’ ordered Kazuya in his native tongue, Nikaido translated, and stood up. ‘You, creature, what is your name?’  
‘N-Nikaido,’ he replied, terrified.  
‘Hmmm…you understand my speech?’ asked Kazuya. Nikaido nodded. ‘Then, I may have use of you.’ Nikaido nodded again, following his new master over to the side of the black pool.  
  
Lost in the waters' hold, Kazuya spoke once more. ‘Where is Yuna?’ Nikaido looked at him in bewilderment.  
‘Who, sir?’  
‘Yuna, she was…have you not heard my story?’ Nikaido nodded again, it seemed as if his head was on a swivel.  
‘Yes of course sir but…I beg your pardon but she…the priests had her damned, she can never be resurrected.’ He spoke quietly, fearing that the truth would hurt his chances of staying alive. Kazuya stared almost sadly at the pool, stepping closer to it, and outstretching his arm over it.  
‘ _Leocht Demaneire Naisomentum_ ,’ he muttered, and the pool’s waters gave off a dim radiance, images of the feudal era flicking across its surface, changing as if it were a television changing channels. Kazuya pulled back his arm, leaving the mirror to scan images of the world across its surface. ‘I think,’ said Kazuya, though speaking in Nikaido’s language. ‘I will speak as you do, to become part of this world.’ Nikaido nodded once more, as his master suddenly turned to face the mirror as a particular image flickered across it. Kazuya waved his hand, and the image fixed, showing him only his one certain picture. A girl with long, ebony hair swept over her shoulders, knelt down at the bank of a crystal clear river, splashing the water over her face. ‘Yuna?’ muttered Kazuya. Nikaido looked up at him.  
‘Forgive me, but that is not Yuna sir. She was branded with the Sage’s mark, she cannot be resurrected or reincarnated; she is forced to remain in the spirit world for eternity.’ Kazuya seemed not to have heard him.  
‘What is her name?’ he asked gesturing towards the girl in the mirror.  
‘She is not of our world, she is from somewhere else, and so I do not know her name.’ Kazuya seemed a little dispirited at his words, (if that was at all possible). Then within the image, they saw someone sit down beside the girl, his golden orbs flickering contently as she smiled back at him. ‘But I know him; he is the half-demon son of the mononoke Inu-no-Taishou, Inuyasha.’ Kazuya grinned evilly in response, still gazing at the image.  
‘I will rule the world as the sages once feared. I will smother it with my bloodied fog and plunge it into a reign of darkness.’ Nikaido grinned in approval. ‘But, I will only do it with her at my side.’ Nikaido’s grin faded.  
‘But you don’t even know who she is.’  
‘I will soon enough,’ he replied slyly, walking away from Nikaido slightly. ‘Wait here for my return,’ he said, before being swallowed up by a whirlwind of thick mist, transforming into the full-bodied image of a silver wolf, before disappearing from Nikaido’s sight.  


***

Kagome knelt down beside the river, sighing deeply as she dipped her slender hands into the water, splashing some over her face. Feeling refreshed she turned to her side, starting to fill up the skins. She did not stir as Inuyasha sat down beside her, Sango and the others standing behind them.  
‘Hurry up already! How long can it take to fill up on water?’ asked Inuyasha in his usual, grumpy voice, his long mass of silver hair hanging down the back of his red kimono.  
‘What’s the rush? Scared you’ll get yourself wet?’ she replied, smiling at him.  
‘Feh, whatever, I just want to get settled before the sun sets, that’s all.’ Kagome turned back to the water, filling up the last skin.  
‘The sunset does look a little, odd,’ said Miroku, staring at the sky. Kagome and Inuyasha lifted their heads to see it, as the others did too. They saw the reds, pinks and lavenders of the sunset stained with a thick black line across its centre. ‘That’s not a good sign, a broken sunset - it means dark magics have been awakened,’ he explained quietly, his dark eyes fixed on the menacing sight of the broken sunset.  
‘Oh, goodie, more fun for us,’ muttered Shippo sarcastically, the little fox demon perching himself on Inuyasha’s shoulders to get a better look at the sunset. ‘How are we ever supposed to find the last shards if we keep being interrupted by-’ He stopped as he dropped suddenly from Inuyasha’s shoulders, holding his hands over his ears and writhing about on the floor as if in agony.  
  
Kagome turned only to see that Inuyasha had his hands clamped over the doggy ears atop his head, wincing in pain.  
‘Inuyasha? Inuyasha what’s wrong?’ she asked, and hearing a squeal she turned to face Sango, seeing the small, white, cat demon Kilala behaving much like the other two, squirming in Sango’s arms. ‘What’s wrong with them?’ asked Sango. ‘Is it the sunset?’  
‘It’s…’ muttered Inuyasha, ‘it’s this high ringing in my ears, its fucking turning me deaf.’ He clamped his hands tighter over his ears as the sound got louder, trying to block it out.  
‘But there isn’t anything,’ insisted Sango.  
‘Yes there is! My eardrums are gonna explode!’ Shippo screeched rocking backwards and forwards on the ground, the fur on his bushy fox’s tail standing on end.  
‘Maybe,’ said Miroku calmly, tightening his grip on the staff at his side, ‘it _is_ something to do with the sunset.’  
‘Yeah, the sound is occurring because of the disturbance causing the broken sunset, and because they are demons, they can hear it but we can’t.’  
‘That makes no sense, why can demons hear it but we can’t?’ asked Kagome.  
‘Because they’re not humans they have things we don’t,’ replied Sango, brushing the straight lengths of black hair from her face. With that, Inuyasha, Shippo and Kilala let go of their ears.  
  
‘Inuyasha?’ said Kagome worriedly, kneeling closer to him.  
‘I’m fine, it’s stopped now.’ Kagome sat back, relieved that they were okay, and ran her hands over her arms.  
‘I have goose bumps; I don’t like it up here,’ she said shivering slightly.  
‘Me neither, we are too visible,’ agreed Miroku. Inuyasha brushed his hand lightly against Kagome’s on the grass, so that she turned to look into his shining golden orbs.  
‘We should find shelter before darkness comes, I don’t much like what it might bring with it.’ He stood up, pulling Kagome to her feet, and Shippo leapt onto his shoulder once more. As they started to walk away, they realized Sango wasn’t moving from where she stood.  
‘Sango?’ asked Miroku.  
‘What are we going to do about the broken sunset?’  
‘Come on let’s go, there will be the broken sunrise that follows tomorrow we’ll follow that when it comes.’ Sango nodded, joining the others as they walked into the shelter of the trees.  
  
  
  
TBC


	2. Brewing Storm

 

_The Brewing Storm_  
Two

 

Kagome shot up from the ground where she had fallen asleep, the nightmare from which she had awoken tearing at her as she gasped for breath, feeling the sweat beading down her forehead. Kagome gazed around, seeing that Miroku, Sango, Kilala and Shippo were still asleep beside her. Inuyasha looked questioningly at her across the fire. ‘Bad dream?’ he asked. She nodded in reply. ‘You were mumbling in your sleep.’  
‘It was just a nightmare. Do you think it has anything to do with the broken sunset?’  
‘Maybe,’ he replied, before one of those awkward silences she knew all too well fell over them.  
  
As the silence swept through their campsite, Kagome found herself recalling the dream she had just awoken from. An image of a dark, shadowy, cloaked creature came before her eyes. Fire, water and a thick mist encircling around it, she shivered as she shook the menacing image from her mind. ‘Are you cold or somethin’?’ asked Inuyasha.  
‘I’m good, my dream just…I guess it just freaked me out a bit, or, a lot.’ He got up slowly, walking round the fire and sitting beside her, draping his kimono round her shoulders.  
‘What was it about?’ he asked as she leant her head into his shoulder, pulling the kimono tightly round her.  
‘I…I think that whatever caused the broken sunset…I think that the disturbance was the summoning of some ancient evil, and I’ve seen it.’  
‘Must have been a really detailed dream,’ he said, breathing in her scent deeply. Kagome smiled.  
‘It’s just a feeling I’ve got after seeing this thing.’ Inuyasha leant his head on top of hers, and smiled.  
‘Umm, Kagome I…’  
‘What?’ she asked.  
‘I need to tell you something…I-’ He broke off suddenly, drawing from its sheath, the glimmering sword Tetsusaiga, getting to his feet.  
‘Inuyasha?’  
‘Wake the others,’ he whispered to her.  
‘There is no need for that,’ sounded a cold voice from the trees; Inuyasha glared as Sesshomaru and Rin stepped out of the shadows of the trees, walking towards them.  
‘What the hell are you doing here?’ asked Inuyasha angrily, as Sango, Miroku and the others stirred from their sleep at the raised voices. They shot up on their guard as the tall, pallid, ominous figure of Sesshomaru met their sleepy eyes, only to be met with the same expressionless look in return from their enemy.  
  
‘Come now brother, you know exactly what I am here for, unless I am the only one who felt the disturbance earlier.’ Inuyasha was so determined not to look as if his brother’s words meant anything, but Sesshomaru saw straight through him. ‘I thought so.’ Miroku, Sango and the others edged forward to Kagome and Inuyasha’s side, now fully awake and alert.  
‘What do you know about the broken sunset?’ asked Miroku boldly, as Shippo leapt onto his shoulder. The little girl, Rin shifted uncomfortably at Sesshomaru’s side; she hadn’t liked the eeriness of the sunset either.  
‘The sunset was a warning,’ the silver-haired demon replied. ‘It is the broken _sunrise_ where the trouble will begin.’  
‘What the hell is that supposed to mean?’ asked Sango angrily, not at all in the mood for his complacent attitude.  
‘If Inuyasha or yourselves had the ability to hear past the ringing earlier, you’d have known exactly what was going on.’ They understood now, Sesshomaru had heard something beyond the deafening ringing sound, but what was it? ‘But obviously my help isn’t wanted,’ he turned to leave. Inuyasha, Sango and the others did not try to stop him, the presence of the older demon made them nervous right now, especially when he was being so…unusually nice.  
  
Kagome dashed to his side, grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. He seemed surprised that she had a sudden outburst like that, just as the others were.  
‘Please,’ pleaded Kagome, slightly hysterical, ‘help us.’  
‘Kagome!’ argued Inuyasha.  
‘Kagome-chan, let go of him!’ ordered Sango. Kagome turned away from them, ignoring them.  
‘Who is Kazuya?’ asked Kagome. Sesshomaru and the others looked oddly at her, wondering how on earth she got that name.  
‘Stupid, what are you talking about?’ She ignored Inuyasha again, still looking at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru wondered still how she got the name, but he answered her nonetheless.  
‘Kazuya was an ancient powerful demon; he was half youkai and half sorcerer.’  
‘Makes you miss Naraku a little don’t it?’ muttered Shippo, referring to their past and lately deceased enemy.  
‘No!’ Inuyasha snapped. Sesshomaru continued.  
‘His father was a dark magics master; he was executed by the Sages before Kazuya’s birth. I guess in that time you could say that the Sages were like the rulers of the world, they powered ancient magics and kept order to the world. Because Kazuya was born of such dark energy he was pure evil, and he burned his mother inside out while she brought him into the world. He grew unnaturally fast and escaped the custody of the Sages, fleeing to an ancient Sage who he tricked into giving him pity and kindness. Kazuya was found by the Sages, killed the one who helped him and it is said that, Kazuya had fallen in love with a Sage’s daughter, Yuna. The Sages were merciless and cruel back then, not caring that Kazuya had sincere, human feelings they made him watch, as they branded her with the condemned mark, which stopped her from being resurrected or reincarnated, and burned her alive.’  
  
He stopped for a moment, most probably for dramatic effect, before continuing. ‘Kazuya was burned and his ashes were sealed in the Black mirror of the ancient Temple of Lost souls. The Sages banished the temple from the face of the earth, only to disappear themselves not long after and no one knew what happened to them. But I do…Kazuya was brought back today, and he’s out for revenge.’  
‘And what _exactly_ does his revenge intend?’ asked Miroku nervously.  
‘It intends doing what the sages prophesized he would do - that he would throw the world under his dark reign, and kill anyone who opposes him.’  
  
Kagome suddenly felt very sick and dizzy, and letting go of Sesshomaru she stood looking pale and shaky. Inuyasha walked to her side, looking directly at Sesshomaru.  
‘Why is Kagome having dreams of Kazuya?’ he asked.  
‘Maybe this is her way of being affected by the broken sunset; she is a priestess after all.’  
‘The reincarnation of one…’ corrected Miroku quietly.  
‘Or maybe…’ muttered Kagome, so that the others looked to her, ‘maybe he just wants you all to know he is back.’ Inuyasha looked worriedly at her, wondering what the hell was happening to her.  
‘Makes sense,’ agreed Miroku, ‘for his plan to succeed he needs the strongest fighters dead. And not bragging or anything but, most of them are here right now.’  
‘You gotta admit,’ piped up Shippo, ‘we are kind of getting a reputation for ourselves, I mean we killed Naraku, The Thunder Brothers, Setsuna no Takemaru, Those creepy brothers to the demon who was in love with Inuyasha, Kaguya, Yura…’  
‘Hey, _Kagome and me_ killed Yura, you just heard about her,’ argued Inuyasha. Then he thought some more about what had been said. 'What Brothers? Who loved me? What demon?' he asked quizzically with a bemused expression.  
‘Whatever, the point is, we’ve always killed any threat that has faced us, so I think that maybe, he is after us, to start with anyway.’ Shippo said. They all fell under silence for a moment, silently agreeing this was very likely.  
  
‘Kazuya wants us to find him,’ concluded Sesshomaru, breaking the silence.  
‘Well he’s got what he wants, coz I’m going after him,’ said Inuyasha, going to walk off. Kagome turned, grabbing his arm and turning him to face her.  
‘Wait Inuyasha no, please don’t go.’  
‘Kagome get off me, I have to go!’ he argued.  
‘There is nothing that says you have to go and get yourself killed.’  
‘Don’t be stupid, I won’t die!’ He pulled his arm from her grip, turning to walk off again, but stopped and turned back as she broke into tears.  
‘Kazuya is stronger than you are, and he will kill you if you go!’ Inuyasha looked away from her, feeling guilty.  
‘Come on Kagome,’ he said quietly, still not looking at her. ‘Don’t cry.’  
‘I have every right to cry when you’re being so stupid!’ The indigo clad Miroku walked supportively to her side.  
‘She’s right Inuyasha; if you go you won’t come back.’ Inuyasha was furious that they were all going against him.  
‘So what to you propose I do, sit back and watch him destroy everything searching for us?!’  
‘Maybe you should just ask for help when you need it,’ suggested Sesshomaru, still standing in the same spot.  
‘We don’t need your help big shot, so why don’t you just f-’ he stopped mid swear word as Kagome spun round, facing the bushes. ‘Kagome? What’s wrong?’ Kagome did not answer him; she just stared at the shadows of the trees.  
‘I…I heard something…’ Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, finding them all so utterly pathetic. Sango placed a hand on Kagome’s shoulder briefly, before walking before them, towards where Kagome was staring. As she reached the bushes, dozens of wide, hungry, golden eyes, materialised in the shadows, bringing with them low growls of hunger. Sango turned to face the others.  
‘Run,’ she said, skidding forward and scooping up Kilala. Miroku dashed after her, Sesshomaru and Rin not far behind, Inuyasha took Kagome’s hand, and dragged her after the others.  
  
They heard the snarls of their pursuers getting louder and louder as they began to catch up, and Miroku called back to the others as he ran.  
‘They’re some form of wolf demon! But they look different somehow!’  
‘Yeah, they’re meaner, and they smell worse,’ replied Inuyasha, with a sneer, hating wolf youkai above all the rest, all thanks to one particular demon. No sooner had Inuyasha replied, than Kagome tripped as Inuyasha pulled her forwards too fast, and her ankle gave a nasty snapping noise.  
‘Kagome-chan!’ Sango called back, all of them stopping just as a wolf pounced on Inuyasha.  
‘Get going!’ yelled Inuyasha, swiping the wolf with his claws, and shifting Kagome into his arms, before running after the others. Kagome wrapped her arms round Inuyasha’s neck in fear, her eyes closed in the pain from her ankle. Suddenly Inuyasha skidded to a halt as he saw the others ahead, standing fast. ‘Why have we stopped?’ Inuyasha asked Miroku. Miroku pointed ahead, and Inuyasha saw it. A great circle of fog enfolded their feet, rising up from the ground and tumbling form the sky as it glided eerily closer.  
  
Rin clung to Sesshomaru, trembling with fear.  
‘What is it?’ she asked in terror, just before the fog swallowed her image, and her voice drowned out. Sesshomaru dragged her up above the fog, and she still clung to him, tears falling down her sweet face. Kilala leapt onto Sango’s shoulder as the youkai exterminator slipped her hand into Miroku’s.  
‘Whatever you do, don’t let go of each other!’ yelled Sango to Inuyasha and Kagome, Shippo hanging even tighter onto Miroku’s shoulders. Inuyasha set Kagome’s feet on the ground, his arms still tightly round her. She shivered as the icy, silver mist hit her skin, and tears of fear poured silently down her porcelain like face. As the fog was almost completely about them, Inuyasha pulled her tighter.  
‘I won’t let go,’ he assured her quietly, and the first of the fog smothered them completely.  
  
As if from nowhere, fog continued to tumble from the sky; so thick and dense that everyone disappeared from Inuyasha’s vision amidst the billowing storm that smothered every sight and sound. ‘What the hell?’ Inuyasha could not even hear his own voice, the only sense he had maintained was his sense of touch. Though he could not smell Kagome, she clung to him in fright, clearly scared at having lost her senses as well. She felt safest with him, she had always told him this, yet still he wondered how holding him would comfort her amongst these dense cloudy, barriers. Suddenly Inuyasha felt Kagome’s body being tugged away from him. He held onto her and immediately knew what had happened. The wolves had caught up with them in the mist.  
  
  
TBC


	3. Spirit of the Wolf

_Spirit of the Wolf  
Three  
  
  
_ Inuyasha pulled Kagome tight against him, feeling her body quivering in fear. He lashed out with his foot at where he guessed the wolf was, and he felt the wolf being kicked away from them. The wolf pounced back on him, knocking him to the floor. He kept hold of Kagome, and he landed on top of her, dizzy and disorientated. They clawed and scratched viciously at his back, shredding at the skin on his back. His blood trickled down his back. As well as this, he felt a wet substance seeping through to the skin on his legs, and knew it was Kagome’s blood.  
  
Miroku had only one idea how to get out of this mess, but he was not sure that would be wise right now. He had no way of warning his friends, he tried desperately to shout to Inuyasha and Kagome but his voiced dried in his throat, making no sound. _But I could do it,_ he thought, _I could suck all this mist into my Wind tunnel, and we would be safe. But what if Inuyasha and Kagome get sucked in too?_ Another voice argued in his head. Miroku flinched; he could never forgive himself if he killed his friends. He was lost, and had only the feeling of Sango’s hand in his to comfort him, though even that could not help him make the tough decision now had to make.  
  
The wolf form of Kazuya stood amongst the other wolves that stood at the sidelines of the attack, able to see through the mist, having been the cause of it. Miroku stood looking confusedly about him, Sango holding his hand, swiping behind her blindly with her Hirakoitsu, Shippo clinging to Miroku’s shoulders in fear, and Kilala one of her two tiny tails only narrowly being missed by Hirakoitsu as she fought to stay on her shoulders. He saw Inuyasha and Kagome under attack from the wolves on the ground, Sesshomaru nearby, Rin clinging to him as Sango smacked him across the jaw with the giant boomerang. Kazuya in his wolf form growled an evil laugh, he hadn’t even had to fight them himself, the so-called world’s strongest fighters and they were killed first try by his mist.  
  
Suddenly Miroku made his choice. He threw Sango to the floor behind him along with Shippo who clung to her as he landed, and pulled the beads from his hand, unsealing the curse of the portal in his right-palm. The mist poured into the portal, and Inuyasha stared in horror as he saw what was clearing the fog. Using all the strength in his body, he fought the pull of the wind tunnel, and clawed at the ground, dragging Kagome against a tree, pinning her and himself against it. Sesshomaru snatched up Rin, his whip lashing out from his fingertips and snapping it at a tree, pulling himself and Rin away from the force of the wind tunnel. Kazuya stood back as the other wolves were dragged in with the fog, he was surprised, he hadn’t known of this weapon, before his attack. Suddenly the tree Kagome and Inuyasha were pinned to began to be tugged at the roots, and was beginning to be dragged in.  
‘Miroku stop! Close it!’ screamed Inuyasha. Miroku did not hear Inuyasha, and anyway had lost almost all control of his power, and his eyes were closed tight with the strain on his body, the fog obviously overwhelming him. ‘Miroku close it!’ screamed Inuyasha as his grip on the tree failed, and he and Kagome flew towards the entrance of oblivion.  
‘Miroku-sama! Close it now!’ screamed Sango as she saw Inuyasha and Kagome being sucked in but he could not hear her. She leapt up from the ground, and knocked his hand away, and he pulled the beads back round his wrist, sealing up the wind tunnel.  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha slammed hard into the ground, before Miroku, and Inuyasha got steadily up off Kagome, brushing the dirt off himself. Sesshomaru pulled Rin to her feet, as Shippo hopped over to Inuyasha, hugging him tight.  
‘I’m glad Miroku’s wind tunnel didn’t eat you,’ he cried. Inuyasha tried not to smile as he slid the kitsune off him, and sat Kagome up.  
‘You okay?’ he asked  
‘I think so, but…’ She looked down at her ankle, teeth marks, blood oozing from the punctures in her skin, and she leant against Inuyasha’s shoulder.  
‘Sango, have we got anything to start a fire with?’ asked Inuyasha, as Sango knelt beside Miroku, who had collapsed to his knees.  
‘We left everything back at camp,’ replied Sango. Sesshomaru approached them with Rin at his side.  
‘I will get them, Stay here Rin,’ he said, walking off into the shadows. Shippo hopped onto Inuyasha’s shoulder.  
‘What’s with Sesshomaru?’ asked the little kitsune. Inuyasha did not answer; he turned to look worriedly at Miroku, who lay passed out in Sango’s arms.  
‘Is he okay?’ he asked.  
‘He’s just tired,’ replied Sango. Suddenly she felt the perverted monk’s hand twitch, rubbing her butt. She smacked him across the head sharply, standing up. ‘See, he’s perfectly fine.’ Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the monk’s pathetic attempts at looking injured, as Kagome mumbled something about the sunrise. Inuyasha looked down at her, then up at the sky, and knew that the sunrise would be coming in a few hours, and that they must be ready to follow it by then.  
  
Sesshomaru had brought back their stuff very quickly, and the fire had been burning for a while now. Miroku sat petting Kilala absentmindedly while Sango knelt behind Kagome, supporting her while Inuyasha was dealing with her ankle. Kagome winced as Inuyasha dabbed with a wet cloth at the bite on her ankle, and she squeezed Sango’s hand slightly.  
‘It’s not that bad,’ Inuyasha assured her, ‘it just hit near a vein, that’s why it bled so much.’ He threw the cloth to the side as the last of the blood was cleaned from her skin and he ran his fingers softy along her anklebone. ‘I think…I think that it’s broken. Sango, hold Kagome a sec.’ Sango held Kagome’s arms back, as Inuyasha twisted her ankle, until it snapped back into place. As the bone gave out the snapping noise, Kagome screamed, and Shippo looked worriedly at her. Miroku looked casually over to them, still a little tired from earlier.  
‘She should be able to walk on it tomorrow, just not very well,’ he informed them.  
Inuyasha looked at the ground pensively, thinking that he wanted to follow the broken sunrise when it came, but knowing Kagome was not in the right state. Kagome pulled herself out of Sango’s arms, sliding pathetically beside where Shippo had now moved, and she sat looking sadly at the fire. Sango stood up, moving beside Miroku to try and stop him sulking, having overexerted himself and receiving no attention or fuss for it from his pontential love interest. Inuyasha walked to Kagome’s side.  
‘I’m sorry you got hurt,’ he muttered. Kagome did not look up at him.  
‘I’m sure you are.’ Inuyasha looked at her, trying not to be angry, but Kagome still wouldn’t look up at him. ‘Take me home now,’ she asked her voice full of misery.  
‘What? Why?’ he asked confusedly wanting to know what he’d done wrong this time.  
‘I don’t want to be here anymore,’ she whimpered, feeling utterly miserable and wretched at being such a nuisance.  
‘You don’t mean it,’ he argued quietly, and acting against his normal behaviour, slipped his hand over hers, stroking along her hand with his finger. Kagome did not respond to this, she just replied to his words.  
‘I know you want to get going tomorrow, and I can’t go because I got myself hurt. I don’t want to be a nuisance anymore. You said it yourself; your era is no place for me, so take me back to my own time.’  
‘Stop saying such stupid stuff,’ snapped Inuyasha, pulling his hand away. ‘I ain’t takin’ you home so you’ll just have to deal won’t you!’  
‘Why?’ Inuyasha stood up, ignoring her, and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the trees. Miroku and Sango, Kagome noticed had already laid down to sleep, but Shippo looked up at Kagome, having heard every word that was said.  
‘Don’t worry Kagome, Inuyasha is just too embarrassed to tell you he doesn’t want you to go,’ the little kitsune assured her.  
‘I wish it were true Shippo,’ she replied, quietly, before lying down herself, Shippo snuggling up to her.  
  
Kagome woke not long after having fallen asleep, and her waking eyes were met with Sesshomaru gazing at the fire opposite her, sitting beside a sleeping Rin. Kagome sat up, and he looked up at her.  
‘No more dreams I hope?’ he asked expressionlessly. She shook her head, thinking that she hadn’t been sleeping long enough to dream. He waited a moment, and then spoke again. ‘Have you ever told Inuyasha that you love him?’ he asked. Kagome’s head shot up in surprise, wondering how he knew.  
‘What the…? How did you-’  
‘I’ve lived a long time, seen lots of things, and with all I’ve seen, I’ve learnt a lot of things. I’ve seen that look on your face before on the faces of so many others; it only appears if the person is in love.’ Kagome blushed slightly, lowering her gaze to the fire. _What a thing for Sesshomaru to say!  
_ ‘I think he already knows, but I…I’m not the one he wants to be with,’ her sadness returned as she recalled past times where she had felt even worse than this because of Inuyasha. ‘Every time he looks at me, it’s like he is always searching for the one thing that isn’t there…Kikyo.’ She shuddered as she uttered that woman’s name, the name of the woman her soul used to belong to, the name of the woman who at every chance took everything away from her.  
‘Why don’t you ask him about Kikyo?’ asked Sesshomaru, still no expression in his voice.  
‘Miroku once asked him who he would choose, and he said both. Besides, he’d never tell me the truth anyway, and I…sometimes I think that…I’m afraid of what he might say.’ Sesshomaru studied the true sadness in her usually cheery face. ‘I know Inuyasha cares about me, but I don’t think he cares about me the way I want him to.’  
‘And how do you want him to care?’ asked Sesshomaru, a hint of warmth entering his cold voice. Kagome fell quiet for a moment, before replying.  
‘I want him to love me.’  
  
They both looked up quickly, dropping their conversation as Inuyasha stepped back into camp. He looked surprisingly at them.  
‘I suspected you to be awake,’ he gestured to Sesshomaru, ‘but I thought you’d be asleep,’ he said to Kagome. Avoiding her eyes, he sat away from both of them, looking anywhere but in their direction.  
‘Where were you Inuyasha?’ she asked quietly, hoping Sesshomaru wouldn’t repeat what she had just said.  
‘I went for a walk,’ he replied, his usual tone back, before he fell silent. Kagome shifted slightly, wincing as she moved her ankle. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked worriedly.  
‘I’m okay, it’s just sore. It doesn’t seem so bad when you compare it to standing in a tide of burning acid,’ she replied, joking with the last part. Inuyasha didn’t find it funny, seeing as he had blamed himself for those injuries, him having been the reason she had run into it in the first place.  
‘Why aren’t you asleep?’ asked Inuyasha, trying not to think about that time, when Naraku plagued his every thought, though he was hardly free from the monster now, nothing had turned out as it was supposed to. Naraku’s body had disappeared before Miroku’s wind tunnel could be used on him, and therefore the curse he had placed on Miroku was still active. Kohaku, Kanna and Kagura had all been missing since the demon’s demise, and there were still many lost sacred jewel shards of the Shikon no Tama. Nothing was how it was supposed to be.  
  
‘I _was_ asleep, but then I woke up,’ Kagome replied. Inuyasha did not respond to this, and the same silence fell once more. ‘Will you take me home?’ Inuyasha did not look up, and he knew Sesshomaru was looking at him.  
‘No.’  
‘But why?’ Inuyasha faced flushed, not finding himself able to find a real reason.  
‘Stupid, I don’t want you to go,’ he replied, getting a smile in return.  
‘I’m glad you want me to stay,’ she replied, laying back down, and falling asleep. Inuyasha got up slowly, pulling the blanket over Kagome, and sitting at her side. Finally looking up at his half-brother, and seeing that he had been right, and the older demon was looking at him.  
  
‘Your _friend_ and I were talking,’ said Sesshomaru, signalling to Kagome. ‘You’ve done a great job at making her feel second best.’  
‘I don’t want you to talk to Kagome anymore,’ replied Inuyasha after a short silence. ‘I don’t want you to make an impression on her.’  
‘Maybe it would be a good idea if I did, that way maybe she wouldn’t put up with all that you put her through.’ Inuyasha’s temper was rising, and he didn’t know if he’d be able to control it.  
‘Look, I realise I haven’t been the best person, but she knows I care.’  
‘Maybe, she needs to know why.’  
‘I…I would…I would never say such things to Kagome.’  
‘You must have liked it being sealed for fifty years to that tree, because you’re heading close to getting back up there again, if you fool with someone’s feelings when they’re as strong as they’ve gotten.’  
‘Hey, shut up will you!’ he lowered his voice again as Kagome almost stirred beside him. ‘That was Kikyo, and she wasn’t my fault.’ Sesshomaru gazed coldly at him, the firelight reflecting in his eyes.  
‘I’ve never been much of a big brother, and as much as our dead father might’ve liked it, I don’t ever want to be, but I’ll give you some advice. Sometimes excuses and blaming things on other people just make you weak, sometimes being strong means admitting that at least some of it was your fault. Someone like _her_ needs someone strong, and I only hope Inuyasha will be that person, or someone else will.’ Inuyasha pondered these words for a moment, and then spoke again.  
‘Did…did she mention Kikyo?’ Sesshomaru looked at him almost disbelievingly.  
‘What do you think?’ he asked coldly, before turning from his brother. Inuyasha sat watching the flames dance in the oncoming twilight, lost in thought, the sunrise drawing closer and closer.  
  
Kazuya lurked evilly in the shadows, away from Inuyasha and the others, but close enough to watch them, to hear them, a wide, malicious grin spreading across his wolf form’s face. He growled triumphantly, quietly as he learned from his prey’s speech, the girl’s name.  
‘Kagome…’ he growled, repeating her name evilly to himself, or was it to himself?  
  
Kagome shot up abruptly from such a deep sleep as she heard the rough whispering calls of her own name. Kazuya, from the shadows grinned even further. _I think I’ll play a little,_ he thought as he watched her react to his whispers. ‘Kagome…’ he called, still whispering; only this time, he meant to be heard. Kagome gazed worriedly about her, pulling the blanket further round her as comfort. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru shot up at this whisper, they’d heard it too. Within that second of the brothers drawing to their feet, Tetsusaiga and Toukijin were drawn, the eerie moonlight shining from the swords’ blades, warning what would happen to any creature who dared challenge.  
‘Sesshomaru,’ Inuyasha muttered to his brother, to which the older demon turned his head slightly. ‘Watch Kagome for me,’ Sesshomaru nodded, and Inuyasha walked towards the shadows. Kagome felt uneasy as she watched Inuyasha’s figure become further submerged in the darkness, until he disappeared from view.  
  
Kagome stood up nervously, edging closer to the side of Sesshomaru, still holding the blanket tightly round her shoulders.  
‘I…I don’t like this,’ she muttered, as the moments of silence passed as slowly as if they were in hell frozen over. As the silence rang through her ears, creating uneasiness as if the air were full of screams of pain, the others began to stir, and stood up nervously as they saw Kagome and Sesshomaru standing nearby, uneasy, and alert. Rin awoke, and made her way to Sesshomaru, tugging lightly on his clothing.  
‘Sesshomaru-sama?’ she asked innocently. Sesshomaru did not pull his gaze from the shadows around them.  
‘Stand back,’ he muttered to her, and she drew back, leaning against Kagome's legs, where Kagome rested her hands on the tiny girl’s shoulders reassuringly. As Sango and Miroku walked nervously to her side, Shippo and Kilala on their shoulders, Kagome felt as if the silence were ripping her apart inside, she wanted Inuyasha to come back, but as the silence continued on for what seemed eternity, she found that becoming less and less likely.  
  
Suddenly, a pained scream pierced the silence that surrounded them, and Kagome screamed terrified in reaction, it was her name, and Inuyasha’s voice. She went to dash forward, unsure of what she could do; just knowing she needed to try, when Sesshomaru laid a clawed hand on her shoulders.  
‘He said to watch you, you’re not going off into the darkness on your own, understand?’ he muttered his voice as cold as ever. Kagome turned angrily to him, slapping away his hand.  
‘Don’t’ stand there! Go help him, he’s your brother!’  
‘As you well know, we’re not exactly a happy family,’ he replied coldly.  
‘Please,’ she begged, 'don’t let him die.’ Kagome’s hazel, glassy eyes met his cold ones, but he did not move, did not allow the desperation in her eyes sway his decision, and he remained silent.  
  
Sango laid a friendly hand on Kagome’s shoulder, feeling that she needed to do something, though it may not affect her as deeply as it did Kagome, Inuyasha was Sango’s friend too, (sort of anyway), and she wasn’t about to let him die.  
‘I’ll go, Sesshomaru may be a heartless bastard, but I’m not letting him die out there,’ she stated rashly, arming herself with Hirakoitsu. Miroku lunged forward, and stopped her. ‘What?’ she asked him with an annoyed tone.  
‘You’re not going anywhere either,’ replied Sesshomaru.  
‘And are you gonna stop me, huh?’ she yelled.  
‘Sango wait, Sesshomaru is right, we can’t go charging off into the forest with Kazuya out there. Kazuya is probably just trying to get us all alone, so he can manipulate our fears,’ informed Miroku, holding her back from hitting Sesshomaru.  
‘What? So you are sure this is Kazuya, how do you know, it might be anything. It could just be something like another one of Kouga’s tricks, or maybe that bitch Kik-’ She broke off as Miroku pulled a hand over her mouth in response to the death stare Sesshomaru was throwing her.  
‘You call yourself a demon hunter?’ asked Sesshomaru coldly, ‘Kazuya is a fear demon, this reeks of a fear demon’s work; I would have thought that even _you_ would be able to sense that.’ Sango seemed to drop her attempts at these words, realising Sesshomaru and Miroku were right. ‘ _Human women, nothing but trouble_ ,’ Sesshomaru muttered to himself, so that no one else heard.  
‘So what are we gonna do then?’ asked Shippo in an annoyed voice. ‘We can’t leave Inuyasha out there to die!’ Sesshomaru didn’t reply, he stood, seeming to be thinking, though he was watching the shadows warily, on his guard at all times.  
  
Kagome grew more and more worried by the minute, and as she shifted her weight onto her hurt ankle, she realised she felt no pain.  
‘Hey, I can walk now! How come?’ she asked Sesshomaru. He did not look to her as he replied.  
‘He wants you to be able to go after Inuyasha alone, he wants to pick you away from us, to get you into the shadows, where you’ll be helpless. But we _won’t_ let that happen.’ Shippo hopped from Miroku’s shoulder to Sango’s so he could get closer to Sesshomaru.  
‘Maybe we should all go after Inuyasha together; then we wouldn’t be in danger ‘cause we’d all be together,’ he suggested in his usual high-pitched voice.  
‘No,’ argued Sango softly, now also watching the shadows nervously. ‘If we all go charging around the forest, we will awaken much worse than Kazu-’ Sango’s words were drowned out as they heard another pained scream.  
‘Kagome!’ Kagome couldn’t bear it, Inuyasha’s voice was shredding her senses, and she had to find him, she knew what was out there, she knew what was waiting for her, but she didn’t care. She lunged forward, feeling Sango swiping, trying to drag her back, but she missed her friend’s grasp by inches, and bolted into the forest, the darkness swallowing up her image as the others called her back, but she ignored them.  
  
She ran and ran, having no idea where to go or what she could do if she found him, just knowing that she had to try. She skidded to a halt suddenly, causing the dirt beneath her to flick up into the air slightly. She turned wildly about, panicking as she realised the darkness around her was now whole, and she could not even see her own hand before her. Fear burst through her body, bringing her heart into her throat, beating wildly, as she also realised she couldn’t hear Inuyasha, or even Sango and the others’ desperate calls, she was completely alone, and terrified. Against her better judgement, and her own mind, mostly because of the overwhelming fear, she shouted out.  
‘Sango? Miroku? Shippo…? Inu…Inuyasha?’ Her voice faltered as she realised no one could hear her, or at least no one she wanted to hear her. She walked on nervously not being able to see a thing, just walking with her arms before her, feeling her way onward. ‘Inuyasha?’ she called repeating his name to the nothingness about her.  
  
With every step she took she felt more and more uneasiness, and fear, and felt as if she hadn’t got Inuyasha to find, she would have given up, dropped down and broken into tears of hopelessness. _No,_ she thought, _he is always there, always strong for me, I’ve got this one time he needs me, and I’m not going to let him down._ She walked on determinedly, suddenly finding the need to convince herself, that the low growls and snarls coming from behind her were just her vivid imagination. Suddenly a particularly vicious snarl sounded, and she burst into a run, hearing hard thuds on the ground behind her as the creature pursued. Suddenly in her blindness, the uneven ground beneath her feet snagged her, and she fell to the floor. She turned from her heap on the ground to look behind her, and her heart stopped. Two big, crimson eyes, like slits were descending upon her, the snarls growing louder, and the creature’s white fangs shining in the darkness. She found herself being able to see her attacker, as a light seemed to glow from behind her, her attacker was a large, silver wolf, and she froze in terror as if drew closer. Suddenly the light grew more radiant, and she turned to face its direction. She could make out amongst the radiance, the form of another silver wolf coming towards her, resembling Sesshomaru’s dog form greatly only smaller, and not corporeal. _Is it a ghost?_ She asked herself, as it charged towards her with ferocity. She ducked her head down into the dirt, flinging her hands over her head, and felt a shiver as the creature approached, bringing with it an otherworldly coldness, as it glided over her. She turned just in time to watch it charge down the real wolf, and saw the enemy shrink away, snarling into the darkness, away from the radiant, translucent spirit, that she knew now, was protecting her, but why?  
  
The spirit turned to face her, and she felt as if she may have run from it had it not just saved her. It gazed at her a moment, as if trying to speak to her, and then shimmered away slowly into the darkness, only to pause a short way away. _Does it want me to follow it?_ She thought, getting to her feet steadily, and nervously, following the shimmering spirit. It stopped for her every time she fell behind, and she wondered exactly what it was, and where it was leading her. It lit her way as she followed it, making it easier to not fall over, and she noticed that it was not walking, but floating a few inches above the ground.  
  
As she followed the gliding ghost in silence, she heard a dim voice echoed in her ears, and speaking some language she could not understand, but it was unmistakably a woman’s voice, whatever it was, and she knew that it came from the spirit. Suddenly it drew away from her, gliding faster than she could keep up, and as it glided away, she saw it pass over something, and she ran towards it.  
  
She dashed forward, skidding onto her knees, and dropping before Inuyasha.  
‘Kagome…Kagome…’ he kept muttering her name to himself, not realising she was here.  
‘Inuyasha?’ she asked sweetly. He didn’t look up at her. She leant forward, taking his hands in hers, pulling them gently from his face, making him look up at her with glassy, golden orbs. He threw his arms tightly round her, startling her at his sudden movement.  
‘Kagome! I thought I’d…I thought I’d lost you!’ He said hoarsely, his throat aching from his cries. Kagome leant into the embrace. ‘I saw…I watched you die.’ Her eyes widened.  
‘What do you mean?’  
‘I saw you, he killed you. I thought…it seemed so real.’ Kagome took his hands once more, guiding them along her cheek in the darkness, as the spirit had faded away.  
‘It wasn’t real, it was just and illusion, I’m alive, I’m real, and I’m here.’ Inuyasha nodded slightly, not that she could see him, and dropped his hands into his lap.’  
‘So it was Kazuya, he made me see it,’ he muttered, mostly to himself.  
‘Sesshomaru said that he separates his enemies, only to feed them their worst fear,’ she told him, only to make him flush in the darkness, and pull them both to their feet.  
‘How did you find me?’ he asked, changing the subject. She was then reminded of the wolf, the spirit, and the voice and she felt it urgent that she tell him, before she forgot anything.  
  
Inuyasha stood listening intently to her encounter, taking in every word. When she had finished he sighed, and she thought she could just make out him scratching the back of his head absentmindedly. ‘I think, maybe the spirit wolf was against the other, and that the real wolf, was Kazuya in disguise, otherwise a normal wolf youkai would not have shrank from the light like that, they aren’t afraid of otherworldly forces, why’d you think the bastards never run away from us?’ Kagome silently agreed with his words.  
‘Just wish I knew what that spirit was, and why it saved me,’ she muttered.  
‘We’ll ask Sesshomaru, as much as I hate to admit it, that git of a brother of mine knows his stuff.’ Kagome nodded in response.  
  
Suddenly, pink light shone bright through the trees, lighting up the blackness of the forest. Kagome hissed as Inuyasha let out a short range of swear words that she could imagine her mother, (currently back in present day Tokyo) would have fainted on hearing.  
‘Inuyasha!’ she scolded and he shrugged.  
‘Feh, whatever,’ he muttered, pulling her roughly onto his back, and dashing through the trees.  
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, the air rushing through her ears as he ran speedily through the forest.  
‘I almost forgot about the damn sunrise,’ he replied, almost not touching the ground as he sped on. She heard him sniff the air frequently, and guessed he must be smelling his way back to the others.  
  
  
TBC  



	4. Broken Sunrise

_Broken Sunrise  
Four  
  
  
_ Inuyasha skidded full force into the camp where he received startled gazes from his companions, as he let Kagome off him and onto her feet. He looked up at the others’ weird looks, and began to feel a little uncomfortable. ‘Well? What the hell you starin’ at?’ he yelled, and the others shot their faces back into their usual expressions as fast as humanly possible.  
‘What happened?’ asked Miroku, walking forward as Shippo jumped from his shoulder to Kagome’s, the little kitsune glad to have her back, and Sango pulled her into a sisterly hug. Inuyasha felt a little peeved he was being ignored, and looked reproachfully at Kagome, only to catch that pervert monk Miroku in action. Before Inuyasha got a chance to even blink, a red hand mark was left on Miroku’s cheek, (courtesy of Sango).  
‘Sango, what the hell was that for?’ he shrieked pathetically innocently.  
‘Keep your damn hands to yourself unless you want them ripped off!’ she screamed.  
‘A little rash don’t you think I was only playing,’ he grumbled. Shippo and Kagome narrowed their eyes in disbelief, they wondered if he truly thought he’d ever get away with it.  
‘I’d quit while you were ahead Miroku, unless you want the other cheek to match,’ muttered Shippo, trying to help the poor simple monk not to be slapped again by his potential love interest.  
  
Sesshomaru stood away from the others, Rin at his side. He found it utterly amazing how pathetically stupid Inuyasha and his comrades could be, considering their amazing fighting skills, and their reputation for beating whatever they came up against, they were pretty simple minded in the dog-youkai’s way of thinking. Rin brushed her long black hair out of her face, and looked up at Sesshomaru, tugging on the white, fluffy material that was draped over one shoulder leaving the rest hanging at his side.  
‘Sesshomaru-sama?’ she asked sweetly. Sesshomaru tilted his head down to look into her dark eyes. ‘When can we go, I don’t like it here?’ A smile seemed to twitch at his mouth, though it did not continue into a true one across his pale face. He looked back over to Inuyasha, seeing that the hanyou had finally got the attention of his friends, and was barking orders at them as usual, (not that they were listening). Sesshomaru’s long silver hair fell off his face, the two red triangle marks on either side of his face exposed as it did so. ‘Sesshomaru-sama?’ asked Rin again, when he did not reply.  
‘It isn’t safe to leave right now Rin,’ he replied, ‘as much as I hate to admit it, my brother is the only way we can ensure we live through what the world is about to endure.’  
  
Rin looked worriedly up at him, he had always protected her since he had met her, and in the long while she had spent in his company he had hated his younger brother with such vengeance they tried to kill each other on sight, she knew things must be bad if he was willing to accept his help.  
‘But Sesshomaru-sama? The last time you worked with him he…he almost killed us all, including Kagome-chan.’ Sesshomaru did not reply, Inuyasha had done as she had said, though that time he was being controlled, he knew Inuyasha would never hurt Rin, an innocent human child if he could help it, and more importantly, Kagome wouldn’t let him do so. Sesshomaru looked over at Kagome, and then at Inuyasha. How could a human girl control such a powerful half-demon, (hanyou) like Inuyasha? His gaze shifted to the beaded necklace around Inuyasha neck. _It isn’t just that, the words she says to activate that are sometimes not even said when he does as she says, so how does she do it?  
  
_ Inuyasha interrupted Sesshomaru’s train of thought as he barged over to him, making the older youkai look up.  
‘Okay? Did you get all that?’ Sesshomaru did not reply, he just threw his brother the usual, loathing, frosty stare.  
‘No I didn’t, but the sunrise has already begun, so there is no time for explanation.’ Inuyasha nodded and turned going to walk off, only to find Sesshomaru had held an arm out to stop him. ‘Wait a moment,’ he muttered to his younger brother. Inuyasha sneered, and smacked his brother’s arm away, begrudgingly doing as he was told. They all watched Sesshomaru look thoughtfully up at the sky, until suddenly he spoke. ‘Okay, quick follow me.’ Rin took his clawed hand and followed after him through the density that was the forest, the others close behind.  
  
They followed him hastily to a cliff-top, where he stopped them, his golden orbs meeting the sight of the sunrise once again. As Inuyasha drew up to Kagome’s side, he saw the same, thick black line splitting down the centre of the sunrise, and his breath was caught in his throat as it shimmered menacingly. ‘ _Leocht Demaneire Naisomentum,_ ’ muttered Sesshomaru, and Kagome looked up to stare at him, the familiarity of his utterance too unbelievable to be true. Suddenly, with his words, the thick line splitting the sunrise throbbed oddly, and the line grew thicker and thicker. An eerie blue light shot from the line spiralling across the sky, descending upon them. Inuyasha lunged forward, grabbed Sango and Kagome roughly, dragging them backwards, causing the two women to collapse on top of him. This all happened within the split second before the light had struck the earth, shattering the surface layers of rock, where Kagome and Sango stood moments before.  
  
Miroku held out his hand to Sango and Kagome, helping them up off Inuyasha, paying no attention to the crumpled hanyou on the rocky ground. Kagome brushed herself off, and offered a hand up to the neglected half demon.  
‘Feh,’ he muttered, ‘like I need your help,’ he leapt to his feet, staring at the large crevice in the ground, and the thick beam of radiant blue light now standing in Kagome and Sango’s place.  
‘Well?’ muttered Sesshomaru, causing the others to look at him in confusion. ‘You want to find Kazuya’s weakness or not?’ The others, (all excluding Inuyasha) looked at him as if they might _surprisingly_ not want to. Inuyasha answered for them, stepping forward slightly.  
‘And what exactly is that thing gonna do?’ he asked, rather rudely. Sesshomaru ignored his younger brother’s attitude, and replied all the same.  
‘Kazuya was resurrected yesterday, if you want to know how to kill him, you have to go to where he was born, demised, and born again; to the Temple of Lost Souls.’ Inuyasha looked warily at the beam of shimmering light.  
‘And I suppose that thing is gonna take us there?’ he asked snappishly, and Sesshomaru nodded slightly, Rin looking timid and afraid at his side.  
  
Inuyasha walked hesitantly towards the light, rousing a worried gasp from Kagome.  
‘Inuyasha, don’t!’ she whispered desperately. Inuyasha turned to face her.  
‘It’s a damn light Kagome, what are you afraid of?’ he asked disbelievingly. He held out his hand for her to take, but she just stared at him, not moving. ‘You really are afraid aren’t you?’  
‘No,’ she lied indignantly, taking his hand and walking forward at his side. Shippo held nervously onto his preferred spot on her shoulder, closing his eyes in fear as his ride stepped forward nervously.  
  
As Inuyasha and Kagome stepped into the light, it seemed to hum in their ears, and their skin tingled oddly, making the hair on their on the back of their necks stand on end. Suddenly, the ray of light shuddered, making the others gasp in fear. The ground beneath their feet rumbled menacingly, making the rock beneath their feet crack and crumble. Sango and Kilala dashed into the light, bumping up against Kagome and Inuyasha, and looking back to Miroku.  
‘Quick, it’ll disappear!’ she urged him. Miroku wasn’t a coward, but he didn’t at all like the fact of stepping into a mysterious beam without knowing what it was. He realized that if his friends were going, and were going to die in the process, then he would want to go with them, and he ran to their side.  
  
As the beam gave another sharp jolt, Sesshomaru took Rin, and shoved her under it, running swiftly to follow her; however, fate had other plans. The moment Rin was thrown into the beam alongside the others, it gave an even sharper jolt, and as Sesshomaru lunged towards it, a radiant, powerful wave of light shot at him, and he was knocked back.  
‘Sesshomaru!’ screamed the little girl, Miroku holding her back as the rock beneath them crumbled. Rin pulled Miroku away from the unsuspecting monk, and he released her, only to have Inuyasha lunge forward, and snag her with his clawed fingers, dragging her back against Kagome. The beam jolted a final time, before it shot upwards, just as the rock crumbled away beneath them. Rin screamed and tried to break away from Inuyasha’s grip as she locked eyes with her beloved demon, and she watched in horror as he plummeted downwards, out of her view as the beam shot upwards, far from where they had stood less than moments before.  


***

The beam landed on the hard ground sharply, making its passengers jolt and have to fight to keep their feet. As the light disappeared from around them, (the only light now being from the sunrise), they looked nervously about to where it had brought them. Surrounding them was a large stretch of dark trees and grass, nothing else to be seen around them, until they faced towards the sunrise. They saw then, what the black line splitting down the sunrise had been… they were facing it. A monstrosity of tall, winding and never-ending stairs faced them, leading gradually to a gigantic, black temple, an ominous beacon atop this dark unconquerable mountain. However, what disturbed the party most was the tall, black energy beam that shot directly up from the top of the temple, crackling sparks of indigo and crimson electricity, this was what had caused the broken sunrise, or was at least the ripple effect after whatever had caused it. Inuyasha gazed up at it trough his golden, hanyou eyes, knowing that anything to have a ripple effect as dominating as this energy beam, must be wielding power he couldn’t even begin to imagine.  
  
He suddenly felt a jerk on his hand, and looked down, remembering Rin, the trembling girl, struggling to be free of him. He released her from his clawed hand, and she dropped to her knees, whimpering and sobbing. Inuyasha looked down into the eyes of Kagome, who looked sadly up at him, and then at Rin, before kneeling down to the girl’s level. Shippo leaping from her shoulder to Inuyasha’s as she did so.  
‘Rin,’ Kagome said kindly to the child, patting her lightly on the back. Rin looked up at her, her beautiful, dark eyes stained with tears, and leapt into Kagome’s arms, sobbing hysterically, the tears seeping through the shirt of Kagome’s school uniform, (though she didn’t mind so much). ‘Hush,’ said Kagome soothingly, looking hopelessly up at Inuyasha, who threw her a sympathetic look in return. After a few moments, Rin pulled from Kagome’s embrace, and leapt at Inuyasha, punching weakly at him.  
‘I hate you! Why didn’t you save him? You could have saved him! I hate you! I hate you!’ she screamed uncontrollably, trying as hard as she could to hurt him.  
  
Inuyasha knelt down in front of her, nearly catching a smack in the jaw before he grabbed her wrists firmly, not hurting her, but not letting her go. ‘Let go of me! I hate you!’ she screamed tears falling down her face.  
‘Stop,’ ordered Inuyasha firmly, and she stopped, though he didn’t release her. ‘Sesshomaru got you safe okay, that is all he wanted, and if the beam thing wouldn’t let him in, what makes you think it would let me out?’ Rin gazed at him with as much hatred as her sweet eyes could muster.  
‘You could have - I’ve seen you do things - you could have tried…’ she whimpered, as Inuyasha loosened his grip on her wrists.  
‘If I could have, I would have,’ he replied.  
‘Liar, you hate him…’  
‘I do, but like hell would I let him die like that without giving me the chance to kill him myself?’ Rin looked into his golden eyes, seeing true sincerity, and her hatred melted away. Inuyasha let her go completely, and stood back up, Kagome drawing up with him.  
  
Rin looked miserably at her feet, the last of her tears being wiped away by her tiny hand.  
‘Sesshomaru-sama…if he is dead, who will look after me?’ she muttered, mostly to herself, not realizing she had spoken her thoughts aloud. Kagome looked to Inuyasha for support, and he rolled his eyes, looking down at the little girl.  
‘Hey,’ he said, and she looked up. ‘You may hate me, and I may hate Sesshomaru, but I ain’t gonna let you get hurt, I do have a soul you know.’ Rin didn’t seem to take in his words fully, but she nodded. ‘Besides, Kagome would _sit_ me a hundred times over if I let you get hurt.’ With these words, he walked over to Miroku and Sango, who stood a little away from them, looking up at the temple ahead.  
  
Kilala sat at Sango’s feet, mewing happily and naively as Miroku stood at Sango’s side. The long, black thickness of Sango’s hair was tied high up in a ponytail, and she was clad in the black and red armour that was typical of the demon slayers. Within the short moments that Kagome and Inuyasha were calming Rin down, Sango and Miroku had both fallen into a pensive silence, where their thoughts trapped them for a moment. Sango looked up at the nightmare ahead through her dark eyes, though she wasn’t seeing it; all that she could see before her, was that image she saw every time her eyes were opened, or closed, that face, her little brother’s face. _Kohaku,_ she thought, _I promised I’d never leave you…I’m your sister, I was supposed to protect you, and now I have no idea where you are._ A single, silent tear fell down the woman’s face; she avoided thinking about him for this very reason, because she knew it was all her fault. With that battle, with one death of a malicious demon, her brother’s life had slipped from her fingers yet again, only this time, she had no hope of ever getting him back. It was due to this, that deep inside she secretly wished Naraku was still alive somehow, as much as she hated him, as much as his name made her shiver and make her want to vomit, if he were alive, Kohaku might still be, and that is all she wanted. Miroku looked worriedly at his potential love interest, for once not a perverted thought in his tiny mind. He rested his hand on the girl’s shoulder, and stared into her eyes as she turned to face him.  
‘It wasn’t your fault you know,’ he muttered softly to her, somehow knowing what she was thinking about. ‘None of this was, if I’d have used my Wind Tunnel on him, then Inuyasha wouldn’t have had to kill Naraku himself, and you wouldn’t have lost Kohaku, and I could…I could offer you a future with me, that didn’t intend watching the curse Naraku set on me, swallow me whole.’ Sango looked with glassy eyes at him, wondering how he knew.  
‘But you…How could you possibly know what…?’ Miroku smiled weakly at her.  
‘Because I know you, and I know that as tough, as strong as you may be, you love your brother, he was your world, and he was taken from you, right before your eyes. It is just you, it is just who you are to blame yourself, and to spend every waking moment thinking about what you feel you’ve lost forever.’  
  
Sango fought hard to keep her tears from spilling out of her brown eyes, as another thought entered her mind at his words.  
‘I’ve…’ she stopped, glancing over to Inuyasha and Kagome, to make sure they weren’t listening. ‘I feel like I’ve failed him, and now I…’ she rested her hand over his that still lay on her shoulder. ‘I feel like eventually, I’m gonna lose you too.’  
‘Hey,’ he argued, ‘you will never lose me. I’m not leaving you, I promise.’ Sango smiled, only wishing she could believe him, and wishing that she could have what Miroku had once promised her, for them both.  
  
They both let go of each other as Inuyasha approached with Shippo on his shoulder. They flushed as he stood at their side, hoping he had not seen nor heard them.  
‘The kid’s finally quiet, I hope that Kazuya, or whatever else is in there didn’t hear,’ he said as he stopped beside them.  
‘Somehow, I think that whatever is in there knows we’re coming,’ muttered Shippo, hating the idea of entering the nightmarish temple that glared down at them. Inuyasha looked up at it again, shivers shooting up his spine. He was not afraid of what was ahead, he had faced worse, even in his childhood scarier places were seen by those golden eyes of his, but he hated the idea of dragging his friends inside there, where Kazuya had the power, the power to separate them, the power to make their fears and nightmares reality. Inuyasha then looked up at the sky, the sun had nearly fully risen, he calculated roughly what phase the moon was under tonight, and he shuddered as he remembered, tonight was the new moon. He suddenly felt less eager to enter, and it showed on his face.  
  
‘Are you okay, Inuyasha?’ asked Kagome, as she walked to his side, Rin holding her hand.  
‘Yeah,’ he lied, not wanting to worry her. He knew if they were still in there come night time, that he wouldn’t be able to protect Kagome; he also knew that they were too visible here, and not much better off spending the night with no moon in a strange place; they had to make a choice, or rather he had to. ‘Daylight’s coming,’ he told the others as they looked at him. ‘We don’t wanna be here when that happens we’ll be in clear sight of anything watching, let’s go.’ The others nodded, (though half-heartedly so), and followed him as he walked confidently towards the stone steps, trying desperately to hide the fear growing gradually up inside him.  
  
  
TBC


	5. Thundering Steps Before Darkness

_Thundering Steps Before Darkness  
Five  
  
  
_ The stone crumbled slightly underfoot, seeming not to have been trekked up for centuries. The bloodied colours of the sunrise bled out steadily, into the colours of the darkening sky overhead. As midday drew ever nearer, they still had not even reached the middle of the great stone stairs. As Inuyasha looked up, his hopes were crushed in ever reaching their destination, when he saw the great trek upwards that lay ahead. He heard the others stumble and trip on the steep stone beneath him, and kept having to remind Kagome and Shippo not to look down.  
‘Aaah!’ screeched the kitsune, clinging madly to Inuyasha’s head, nearly ripping a clump of his silver hair from it.  
‘What the hell was that for?’ he screamed, making the others look up to see what was wrong.  
‘I looked down!’ shrieked Shippo, his eyes shut tight.  
‘But I told you not to!’  
‘When you say that it’s just the natural instinct to do what I’m told not to! I am a kid you know!’  
‘So you keep tellin’ me!’ he shouted back.  
‘Inuyasha?’  
‘What?’ replied the hanyou grumpily, still shouting, looking down at Miroku.  
‘Stop shouting,’ said the monk.  
‘He started it!’  
‘Well I’m finishing it, so shut up unless you want the entire-’ Sango broke off mid shout, as the stairs underfoot gave a low rumble.  
  
They all pressed themselves against the hard stone, trying to stay on as an earthquake seemed to erupt from beneath them.  
‘Shit!’ shouted Inuyasha, only to nearly fall clean off the stairs as he leaned back to see the others. He scraped his claws along the stone, and kept himself on, only just. Kagome pushed Rin against the stairs as the girl nearly dropped backwards, and then she looked down. Kagome closed her eyes tight as she saw just how far up they were, and she started to feel a little queasy, the shaking of the ground not helping to steady her stomach.  
‘Oh, my god I think I’m gonna vomit,’ mumbled Kagome, her eyes clamped shut, and her voice unsteadied by the quaking rock she clung to. Miroku looked up, over Inuyasha’s place on the stairs, and his eyes widened.  
‘Well if this makes you sick, just don’t look up,’ he told her.  
‘Don’t say that! Whenever someone does, it just makes you do it!’ As Shippo predicted, Kagome lifted her head, and gasped. A gigantic fissure was spreading down the length of the stairs, coming straight towards them at top speed.  
‘Inuyasha!’ she shouted, trying to warn him, but it was too late. The moment he turned his head towards it, the fissure hit. The rock split clean in two, and they all plummeted downwards.  
  
The white, cat demon was engulfed in a mass of fiery flames as she fell with the others, only to merge from them, not quite the same. A sabre toothed, gigantic feline demon emerged, her eyes as red as the fire that trailed in her path. She swooped down, catching Sango and Miroku with ease, and gliding round, trying to find the others. Shippo lost his grip on the hanyou, and fell downwards with the others.  
‘Transform!’ he shouted at the top of his little lungs, and a puff of smoke smothered him for a moment, only to clear after his spell was cast. The thick length of rope the kitsune had transformed into, flung upwards of its own accord, hooking over Sango’s arm, and nearly dragging her clean off Kilala’s back as it did so.  
‘What the? Hey!’ she shouted, Miroku throwing his arms round her waist, holding her on. ‘Don’t you get any ideas,' she ordered him through narrowing eyes, rousing a girlish giggle from him.  
  
The free end of the kitsune’s rope, shot downwards, and snagged the falling Kagome’s leg. Kagome held onto Rin tight, as Kilala started to swoop down to catch them, not quite quick enough.  
‘Uh oh…’ muttered Shippo, as another loud _POOF!_ Sounded, and he transformed back again, his transformations never lasting for very long. Shippo flailed madly in mid air for a moment, before grabbing the end of one of Kilala’s tails as she sped downwards trying to catch Kagome and Rin. Just as Kilala had neared them, barely inches from them, Kagome and Rin were swiped from their grasp, causing Kilala to nearly crash into the stone stairs as she skidded to a halt mid air.  
  
Sango looked up, and saw Inuyasha not much higher than they, Kagome and Rin in his arms.  
‘You left it a bit late, next time peel yourself off the ground quicker, and don’t leave all the panicking to us!’ shouted Sango angrily at the hanyou.  
‘Feh,’ he muttered, as Kilala flew up to his side. ‘It’s your fault anyway, you wouldn’t let Kilala fly us up to start with!’  
‘Oh yeah, I was the one who started a shouting match half way up a mountain!’ she screamed back. ‘Besides, Kilala can’t carry us all the way up.’  
‘Whatever, let’s just go,’ he mumbled, allowing Rin to hop on Kilala in front of Sango. Shippo jumped onto Inuyasha’s shoulder as the hanyou hoisted Kagome onto his back, and the hanyou growled grumpily at his other passenger, touching back down on the stairs. It didn’t take them very long to get back to where their path had been interrupted, though as their speed picked up from here on, it seemed Inuyasha and Shippo had found their argument amongst the shattered rock as they had passed. Rin had fallen fast asleep on Kilala’s back, and Sango held her on in front of her, trying to ignore tweaking at her mind, caused by Inuyasha and Shippo’s argument.  
  
Inuyasha won the never-ending argument, as he bopped Shippo on the head with his fist, receiving a hiss from Kagome.  
‘If you weren’t carrying me I’d use the ‘ _s’_ word on you,’ she muttered in his ears, and then tightened her grip around his neck, as he jolted upwards slightly.  
‘Hey you’re choking me! Don’t cling dammit, I won’t let you fall!’ Inuyasha told her, nearly choking to death.  
‘Sorry,’ she replied, loosening her grip.  
‘What’s wrong with you?’ he asked worriedly, noticing how quiet she had fallen.  
‘Nothing I just…I think I’m going to puke.’  
‘Well don’t do it over me, warn the transport before the passenger barfs all over him!’ Kagome nodded with a slight smile, closing her eyes, trying to stop the world from speeding so fast past her eyes. Though she did not intend to, she did not fight it when sleep came over her, and she drifted off away from the speeding clouds around her.  
  
Inuyasha smiled as he turned his head slightly to look into her sleeping face, and dropped his speed, falling alongside Kilala and the others. ‘Enjoying yourself Miroku?’ Inuyasha asked to the beaming look on the perverted monk’s face.  
‘He’s just happy because he has an excuse to hang onto me,’ Sango answered in a low voice, not looking at all happy. ‘Just look at that sick grin.’ Miroku’s face suddenly shot into an Innocent expression.  
‘Me? I’m as innocent as the day is long,’ he argued in a false innocence.  
‘Yeah, all I can say is keep your hands and sick fantasies to yourself if you wanna stay on this ride,’ threatened the youkai exterminator, causing the perverted grin to return.  
‘Or maybe he wants to swap, he might like a ride off Inuyasha,’ suggested Shippo in an evil giggle. Inuyasha looked at the monk in disgust, receiving a duplicate look in return.  
‘Yeah, Kagome and you must weigh less than him anyway, poor Kilala needs a break,’ joked Sango, pissing off their male companions even more.  
‘Sango, are you saying I’m fat?’ asked Miroku in a femininely hurt voice. Sango, Inuyasha and Shippo rolled their eyes.  
‘Yes Miroku,’ she replied sarcastically, ‘you’re the chubby monk of pervert-land, happy?’  
‘Yes,’ replied the monk, his usual grin returning.  
‘Why?’ asked Shippo oddly.  
‘Because I think it’s funny.’  
‘What’s funny?’  
‘Sango…She likes fat guys!’ he sang. Sango smacked him viciously in the head, and he continued to giggle, though Inuyasha was sure his youkai senses could pick up the quiet humming of Miroku’s little song.  
  
Kagome awoke, not opening her eyes immediately, and felt something odd. The wind rushing passed her was not going at such a speed as before, the sunlight was no longer glaring in her tired eyes, and the air felt a little colder. She opened her eyes, to watch the last of the sunset, and sat up, finding the others sitting beside her - _sitting_ beside her. They were sitting on a stone ground. Looking one way, she saw a great stone archway, framing the black nothingness of the entrance to the Temple of Lost Souls. Looking the other way, was an even less appealing view, those damn steps, stretching as far down as she could see, clouds and thick masses of mist shielding the bottom from her sight.  
  
She looked down at her lap as something shifted in it, and saw Inuyasha’s sleeping head resting in it, and she smiled slightly. She lifted her gaze as she ran her fingers softly through his silver hair, and saw Sango sitting nearby, Miroku at her side. It took Kagome a moment to notice that Shippo, Rin and Kilala were sleeping beside her, and she heard Sango’s voice.  
‘Kagome-chan, we didn’t know you were awake,’ she said. The woman’s sisterly gaze fell upon Inuyasha, dozing soundly, and she smiled evilly. ‘Inuyasha not woken up yet?’  
‘You saw him like this?’  
‘Sure,’ replied Miroku, ‘but you both just looked so cute and peaceful; we didn’t want to disturb you.’  
‘That’s evil.’  
‘Awwww, come on, how long is it gonna take you guys to-’ Sango threw a hand over his mouth warningly. Kagome ignored the last part, and stared distantly out at the clouds before speaking again.  
‘Why are we out here? Shouldn’t we be inside?’ she asked quietly.  
‘Well yeah, but you guys were all asleep when we got up here, and when we went to go inside, Inuyasha told us to wait ‘til sunrise. We were going to wake you guys to go in, but he told us to let you sleep. Then he sat down next to you and fell asleep almost immediately; isn’t he peaceful when he’s sleeping? That damn mouth is shut - he’s quiet, and he’s not yelling, why can’t he sleep more often?’ Inuyasha’s ears twitched in his sleep, and Kagome smiled, running her fingers over the soft, puppy ears when Sango and Miroku had turned away.  
  
What Kagome didn’t know, was that Inuyasha was only half-asleep. His eyes were closed, he was drifting slowly back from his dream world, but he knew vaguely what was going on. Without realising, he nudged his head against Kagome's fingers, feeling the tickling sensation in his ears. Eventually Inuyasha woke up fully, and realised what was happening. He sat up sharply, and they all looked at him in surprise, and he saw that Kilala and Shippo had stirred, but Rin was still asleep. Inuyasha looked nervously up at the sky, and stood up as the last slither of sun could be seen. He felt Kagome slip her hand into his, and he looked down at her.  
‘Inuyasha?’ she asked, getting to her feet.  
  
Suddenly, a dark shadow came across the sky, blocking the light from the group below, and descending upon them. Inuyasha flung himself over Kagome, pushing her flat to the ground, just as the creature descended, its talons ripping and tearing at where they were moments before. It had nearly had them. Miroku and Sango scrambled to their feet, pulling their weapons into their grasp, and scanning the sky for their attacker. Sango’s eyes widened and Miroku drew in a hoarse breath as Inuyasha stood up, pulling Kagome gently to her feet.  
‘You okay?’ he asked her, receiving a nod in reply, turning to see what she was staring at. ‘It’s a…It’s a fucking dragon!’ A great, deafening roar filled the skies, as in descended once more. Miroku grabbed Sango, pulling her backwards against the door of the temple, narrowly missing the dragon’s sharp claws, scoring across the ground. Kagome knelt at Shippo, Kilala and Rin’s side, shaking them to wake them. They awoke, trembling as the dragon sounded its roar again, the air rushing past them with such force, powered by the dragon’s gigantic, reptilian wings.  
  
‘Inuyasha! Get inside here!’ called Miroku, and Inuyasha looked to them, standing before the entrance to the temple. He nodded, picking up the smaller form of Kilala, and with a whimper and a scream of protest from Kagome, threw her through the air. Sango leapt up and caught her, cursing Inuyasha under her breath. Suddenly, the dragon lunged again, causing the ground to crumble slightly, and as Inuyasha leant forward and took Kagome’s hand, part of the ledge gave way; Inuyasha pulled Kagome backwards away from it, but Rin fell. Shippo leapt forward, scraping the air for her hand, and he snagged it in his own.  
‘Don’t let me go!’ she screamed, panicking and squirming to get up.  
‘Don’t move, if you wriggle you’ll slip through-’ Shippo was cut off as Rin pulled to get up, but she slipped through his grasp.  
‘No!’ screamed Kagome, dragging away from Inuyasha and going to help her, but Inuyasha pulled her back.  
‘Get Shippo inside,’ he told her, looking up at the sunset one last time, sweat beading down his brow, and he jumped.  
  
He held his arms fixedly at his side, trying to fall as fast as he could to catch her. She was inches away, centimetres. He swiped his clawed hand forward, and grabbed her wrist, pulling her up into his arms. Inuyasha saw the dragon’s shadow around him, and he knew it had seen them. He went to stop, so he could jump back up, but he found that he couldn’t. He tried with all his might to stop, to go anywhere but down, but it failed, and gazing down at the now black locks of his own hair that flew about him, and the clawless fingers enclosed around Rin, he knew what was wrong, he was human. He looked horrified towards the sky, and saw where the moon should have been, and he remembered, it was the new moon.  
  
He heard the dragon’s wings cause a cyclone of wind, he felt its foul breath pollute the air, and he knew they had little chance of survival. Inuyasha reached his arm out, preying to catch anything, and it did; his outstretched fingers caught the edges of the stone staircase, and he held on, determined not to let go, and break his promise to protect the frightened girl clinging to him. ‘Rin, climb up me,’ he told her, and she looked at him in confusion. ‘Damn it kid, climb up me to get to the ledge!’ Rin nodded, tears of fear falling down her cheeks, and she did as she was told. As Rin grabbed onto the ledge, Inuyasha pushed her up onto it, and she turned to help him up. ‘Get goin’ would you!’ he ordered, and she looked at him hesitantly. The dragon’s shadow loomed ominously round them, and Inuyasha stared desperately at her. ‘For god’s sake go, run!’ Rin leant down, pulling at his other hand, trying to get him up, but he pulled away. ‘RUN! She looked at him with glassy eyes, and turned, running up the stone steps as fast as her legs would carry her.  
  
Inuyasha tried to heave himself onto the ledge, he tried but he hadn’t enough grip to pull his weighted body up, and he hung there, helpless, waiting to be devoured by the dragon; then he realised something else, and looked up to Rin, in horror. She ran up the steps, but lost her footing, and she missed a step, crashing hard against he stone. She wasn’t hurt, but she was winded, and she whimpered at the blood dripping from her forehead, then once more, as the shadow fell over her. ‘Kagome! Get your bow, KAGOME!’ screamed Inuyasha, and Kagome came to the ledge of the temple, looking down in horror at what was happening.  
‘Inuyasha!’  
‘Don't _'Inuyasha'_ me, get the bloody dragon!’ he screamed closing his eyes in strain as he fought to get enough grip to heave himself up. Kagome armed her bow, and pulled one of the few sacred arrows she had left in her quiver, and put it to the bow, drawing the bowstring back slowly. She aimed it, but the dragon was moving too fast, she knew she wouldn’t hit. She let fly the arrow, and it sped towards the dragon, only skimming the black scales on its spiny tail. ‘Kagome, shoot it!’ he screamed, she fumbled with the arrows, his screaming not helping her confidence. She shot the arrow, and it missed again, narrowly missing Inuyasha’s hand. ‘Get the dragon! I know you can do it come on!’ he shouted, sweat dripped down her temple as she armed the last arrow to the bow. _That’s not what you told me,_ she thought as she took aim. _You never told me I could hit anything with this damn thing, maybe you were right._ Suddenly, within a split second, she remembered the first time she had ever tried using a bow…  
  
“ _Come on, hit it!”_ Inuyasha had said, carrying her on his back as they chased after the bird that had stolen the Shikon no Tama.  
 _“I’m trying!”_ She had screamed back.  
 _“Kikyo could hit it…”  
  
_ Those words echoed in her mind, and she couldn’t stand it. Every damn minute of her life for the past few years were plagued with that name, that woman, every time Inuyasha looked at her she wished that she could be more than her, at least to him, and now she was going to prove that she could be. _"Kikyo could hit it…" If I miss, Rin will die,_ she thought. _"Kikyo could hit it…"_ She shivered, she knew she would miss, _"Kikyo could hit it…"_ No, she was more powerful than that dead priestess was, she was better in every other way than her, and now she would prove it to him; Inuyasha would see she was better. Rin screamed as the dragon swooped upon her, and it sounded again in Kagome's mind… _"Kikyo could hit it…"  
_ ‘So can I!’ she screamed. The arrow sped like gossamer from her bow, a pink luminosity spreading in its path and all around it, and it shot faster and faster towards its target.  
  
The dragon roared in pain as the fuchsia sheltered, sacred arrow struck its left arm, causing the limb to combust, rousing another pained roar from the creature. The dragon reared its head, its cry piecing the ears of all that heard like nails on a chalkboard, scraping their senses from them with that terrible sound. Inuyasha saw that Kagome had hit, though that it had only succeeded in making the beast angrier. Inuyasha saw the dragon arch its spiny back, beating its wings ferociously, and knew it was going to attack again. He closed his eyes tight, sweat pouring from his head as freely as air into his lungs, and he threw all his weight on his arms, heaving himself up. As he threw himself up onto the stone stairs, he had no time to recover, people needed him. He jumped to his feet, and dashed up the steps, hanyou or no, he wasn’t going to let _anyone_ down. He sped up the steps a fast as his exhausted human legs could manage and dashing under the dragon’s legs, snatched Rin’s arm, dragging her after him. The dragon was beyond angry now; its fury being breathed into the air with each violent flare of his nostrils, as it flew wildly after them. Inuyasha knew it would catch them, he felt it coming closer, and closer, and then…passing them?  
  
The creature shot past them, the wound from the arrow stinging it, as it glared through its blood red eyes at the arrows master, and sped towards its new prey.  
‘Kagome, it’s after you, run!’ Kagome widened her eyes in horror as it sped up towards her, and she snatched up Shippo turning to run towards Sango and the others. As she ran, a razor claw swiped her, narrowly missing her, but slamming on the ground before her, blocking her path. She looked up into the fiery eyes of the monster, and closed her eyes, waiting for the attack. Shippo had slid under the claws before they had trapped Kagome, now watching her helplessly as the dragon opened its fanged jaws wide. Kagome crouched low, waiting for the pain, waiting for the end, and she opened her eyes, just in time to watch the jaws come nearer, and feel them snap her up.  
‘KAGOME!’ screamed Sango, Miroku and Shippo, and they all gasped as they saw what was happening. Kagome stood on the moist mat that was the beast’s tongue, her arms over her head, stopping the dragon’s jaws from snapping shut, trapping her inside it.  
  
The creatures tongue swiped menacingly at her, trying to swallow her. As it forced its jaws down on her, the strain on her back almost threatened to snap her bones and she screamed in agony.  
‘Inuyasha help me!’ The foulness of the creature’s breath was almost so much that she nearly choked on it, and she felt like she would not be able to hold this up much longer. Suddenly Hirakoitsu flew through the monster’s jaws, circling her then returning to Sango at the doors of the temple. The beast roared as the weapon knocked out several of its spear-like teeth, and with a new ferocity it crunched down even harder, trying to snap its jaws closed.  
‘Shippo get over here!’ shouted Sango, and the kitsune hopped reluctantly over, as Sango swung her arm backwards. ‘Take this bastard.’ The boomerang left her grasp, and sped towards it, slashing the creature across the eye, and it came back to Sango, bloodied with the dragon’s oozing, purple blood. As the boomerang was released again however, it swept through the dragon’s mouth, knocking out two more teeth, but the dragon’s mouth was now very narrow and it got stuck. Tears fell down Kagome’s face, she was done for, and she knew it.  
  
Suddenly, Kagome jumped as a thick blade shot through the roof of the dragon’s mouth, narrowly missing her hand.  
‘Take this!’ she heard, as the sword was withdrawn and plunged back in, over and over again, each time with a new ferocity. ‘And this - and this! You fucking - stupid - LIZARD!’ Kagome couldn’t help but laugh a little in hysteria, the foul-mouthed hanyou, (or human) had come to her rescue once more. Finally Tetsusaiga was withdrawn again, and as Kagome felt as if she was about to lose the struggle to keep the dragons jaws open, Inuyasha appeared at her side, splashes of the dragon’s blood over his face and clothes. ‘Hey there,’ he said, ‘need a hand?’ Kagome smiled weakly at his ease, and nodded. He nudged close to her. ‘Do you trust me?’ he asked, receiving a nod in reply. ‘Then…let go.’  
  
Sango lunged forward, pulling Rin against her and Miroku beside the entrance.  
‘Where’s Inuyasha?’ she asked. Rin sounded as if she were going to heave by the way her breath wretched in her throat, but she managed to turn and point at the dragon, before collapsing in the arms of the youkai exterminator. Sango, Kilala, Miroku and Shippo looked over to the dragon, and watched in horror, as its jaws snapped shut on their friends.  
‘NO!’ screamed Shippo, trying to pull himself from Miroku’s grip. They didn’t know what to do; it was so sudden, that they didn’t know how to even react, what to do, whether to give up or not…but all confusion was soon settled. The dragon’s pupils contracted sharply and a wash of blood and putrid smelling saliva washed from its mouth, as its jaws were forced open, and Kagome rolled out onto the stone floor. Inuyasha rolled out beside her, Tetsusaiga and Hirakoitsu in hand, and stumbled too his feet. The dragon reared its ugly head, roaring its fury. Inuyasha slid Tetsusaiga back in its sheath, and slinging Hirakoitsu over his shoulder pulled Kagome up from the ground, both of them running for the entrance.  
‘Open it, open it!’ screamed Inuyasha. The others nodded, and all of them pressed hard against the stone door, but it would not budge. Inuyasha and Kagome stopped at their side. ‘What’s wrong? Open it!’  
‘We - can’t!’ gasped Sango, as she and the others pushed against it desperately, hearing the dragon approach, running on nothing but pure fury. Inuyasha and Kagome rammed themselves hard against the door, joining their friends in efforts to open it. A mass of flames told them Kilala had transformed once more, and was pushing against it too. The rock budged slightly, and smaller stones tumbled to their feet. ‘Push!’ shouted Inuyasha. They slammed themselves with every force they had against the stone, and the door flung open. They all tumbled inside, scrambling to their feet, and running forwards. The temple shook violently, and they turned back to see to their horror, the dragon beating his iron-like tail against the door. The door and the ceiling above the entrance shook even more, and the rock tumbled to the ground on top of them, plunging the temple into darkness as it buried the enemies of the dragon, along with the entrance.  
  
  
TBC


	6. Separation Anxiety

_Separation Anxiety  
Six  
  
  
_ Kagome gasped in realisation of her aching limbs, as Miroku dragged her up, pushing the rubble off her. She looked around her; fallen stone and crumbled rock lay everywhere, the entrance blocked by the avalanche. She was rather relieved when the monk stood her up, as she found that her legs worked perfectly well. She stood there still for a moment, whilst ridding herself of the temporary concussion, before walking steadily forward about the dimness, running her fingers over the barely visible wall. Her fingers caught the engravings of the ancient runes, and she frowned as a torch found its way into her hand’s path, though it was extinguished, and she turned to Miroku, who was pulling rocks aside once more, trying to find the others. Kagome realised just what had happened then, and fear and panic rose up in her as she did. Miroku nearly jumped sky high as the girl leapt down nearby, frantically dragging and pushing, digging for her friends.  
  
She clawed and buried her delicate fingers in the shattered rock, scratching and cutting her fingers to pieces. Nearby, Miroku threw rocks off the top of the heap, until his fingers found something other than rock; soft, delicate fur, _Shippo or Kilala?_ He thought. He pulled at it, and he could just make out the outline of the little white cat, half-conscious. He shook the demon slightly and she stirred from the dazed state.  
‘Kagome, go fetch that torch on that wall,’ he called to her, and she nodded, leaping to her feet with unbelievable energy. She held the torch before Kilala, and the tiny cat mewed in understanding, her big, red eyes gazing at Kagome as if she were slightly dizzy. With a fiery transformation Kilala changed, and used her flaming breath to set light to the torch. Kagome petted the demon in thanks, running and setting the torch back on the wall, as Kilala transformed back, obviously too tired to hold her larger form for very long. Kilala jumped onto her shoulder as the girl began to dig again, blooding oozing from her wounded fingertips.  
  
It seemed an eternity before her sore, bruised fingers found anything but rock; but when she did, she pulled Shippo up sharply and he gasped as he sprang back to life.  
‘Ka…Kagome?’ his voice asked, husky from the dirt he’d swallowed.  
‘You okay?’ she asked, her voice rasping much like his, due to the same reason. Shippo looked around in the firelight, his green eyes adjusting to the dimness.  
‘No Sango or Inuyasha?’ asked the Kitsune. Kagome shook her head sorrowfully, and hid her cut fingers carefully from his view. Shippo joined the search for the two remaining members of their party; they all knew that if they didn’t find Sango, Rin and Inuyasha soon, the two would suffocate under the rocky masses, and their search sped up significantly as the moments passed.  
  
Inuyasha opened his eyes, scrambling to his feet shakily, all his bones aching and his muscles throbbing, trying to fight his movements at every try. He looked around to see Sango getting to her feet, being greeted by Kilala, and Kagome digging with Shippo through the rubble, a beaten, shaky Rin kneeling at their side. He was glad to see everyone okay, still he frowned as he saw the caved in entrance. Kagome looked up when she heard the rubble beneath Inuyasha’s bare feet scatter as he stumbled down the rocks to her side. She threw her arms tight round him, nearly squeezing the breath from his lungs. When Sango had recovered herself enough to give Miroku a slap for trying to grab her butt the moment she fell back into consciousness, she turned to face her two other friends, and as she met Inuyasha’s eyes, he blushed. He slid free of Kagome’s grip, only to meet the dazzling tears in her eyes.  
‘You’re crying again,’ he muttered, looking away as he blushed furiously. Kagome shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes.  
‘I’m not crying,’ she insisted in a hysterical voice. ‘I’m just glad you’re okay.’ Inuyasha tried to smile, but he couldn’t manage it; while they were all alive, they definitely weren’t okay. They were trapped, with no food, hardly any light, and only two skins of water. Inuyasha looked back at the entrance once more, knowing that even as a hanyou he couldn’t get through that. He walked over to Miroku who now held the torch, and picked up another extinguished one from the ground, holding it to the flames, and setting it alight.  
  
Shippo hopped onto Inuyasha’s shoulder, nuzzling himself up against his black hair.  
‘Get out of it!’ snapped Inuyasha, but Shippo just smiled, also happy to have him back. He walked on a bit, before realising the others weren’t following. ‘What’s wrong?’  
‘Well, do we have to get moving right away?’ asked Sango, brushing her hair out of her face, a nasty gash across her forehead.  
‘Yes, we do! Kazuya, or god knows what else could be here, plus that bloody lizard outside; we have to keep moving.’  
‘And…the entrance?’ asked Miroku, turning to look at it optimistically. ‘Is there no way that…?’ Inuyasha turned fully to face them and shook his head sorrowfully. ‘Not even as a hanyou?’ Inuyasha shook his head once more, as Kagome stood at his side. ‘What about my Kazaana? That could shift all this rock,’ suggested the monk. Sango looked at him, her eyes wide arguing silently with him.  
‘Feh, you wanna suck all that into your palm go ahead, but your fingers look bad enough without all that crap being sucked through your hand.’ Miroku bowed his head slightly, knowing Inuyasha was right, and Kagome hid her fingers from Inuyasha, just as he turned to look at her. ‘You okay?’ he asked his tone softening more so than when he had spoken to Miroku. She looked at him through wide, hazel orbs.  
‘Why wouldn’t I be?’ she asked in her usual dulcet voice. Inuyasha lifted his free hand, running his deft fingertips along her temple, brushing the black silk from it, revealing a nasty cut. Kagome blushed at his actions and the affection in his brown, human eyes, and pulled away slightly. ‘I’m fine, just a scratch,’ she replied, brushing the tendrils of black silk back over the cut.  
  
After a little more argument against Inuyasha’s decision, they all agreed that his choice was the wisest, and grudgingly followed one by one in his path. The floor and ceiling of the many tunnels were paved in stone, and the walls the same, except the many extinguished torches on them, and the engraved runes upon the ancient stone. Kagome stuck close by Inuyasha’s side, not liking the look of the shadows that loomed about them wherever the light from the torch could not reach, hating the incoherent whispers of creatures within the same shadow, and the coldness that loomed about them, lurking beside the hidden creatures…following in their wake. Each step echoed in the darkness, even Shippo and Kilala, (who now walked between Inuyasha, Kagome and Rin who were at the front, and Sango and Miroku who held up the rear), had footsteps that beat against the wall, and sounded louder than they actually were. Kagome hitched her bow higher over her shoulder, though she had no arrows, and her quiver she guessed must still be somewhere in that dragon’s mouth, she had nothing to use in it. Tetsusaiga sat in its sheath, pretty much the best weapon in their group at the moment, even though with Inuyasha as a human, still under the influence of the moonless night, it wouldn’t be of much use against Kazuya himself.  
  
It happened every month, and yet Inuyasha still found it hard to relieve the anxiety before and during that time. Under the moonless sky each month, the hanyou, feared all throughout feudal Japan lost his demon half, all his powers and demonic abilities, to live in the form of a full-blooded human for that short night. It was not the human form itself that frightened Inuyasha, it was that whenever it happened a demon seemed to appear out of nowhere, and when it did he was helpless, not able to protect those he had come to care for. Maybe it was because of this mostly that he had sought the Shikon no Tama, the jewel of four souls to start with; seeking the secret and most painful desire of his heart, to become a full demon, and never be weak again. But even that had it’s faults some times, as a full demon he had in the past not been able to recognize his friends, and had nearly killed them all as he wreaked havoc under the control of his new form. This had happened countless times, and was probably the reason he had doubts now about the wish he would eventually make. Though whatever his wish, the shards of the jewel had to be found. The shards alone could raise the power of anyone who wielded even a tiny piece, and that power was dangerous in the wrong person’s hands.  
  
Kagome slipped her arm under Inuyasha’s, looking warily about as the shadows played tricks on her eyes. Images of watching eyes and eerie creatures flickered in the shadows, but whenever she looked back they were gone, she shivered, hating every minute of being here; something didn’t feel right.  
‘Kagome?’ The girl looked up to Inuyasha as he spoke her name. ‘You’re uh…digging your nails in.’ Kagome looked at his arm, and saw that she was squeezing his arm so tight that her nails had dug into his skin as the kimono drew back off his arm slightly.  
‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ she said apologetically, Rin looking up at her from her side still clutching Kagome’s other hand tightly. ‘I was just…’ she shivered as another shadow showed her another image that wasn’t truly there, or was it?’  
‘You okay?’ he asked.  
‘Yeah, I just umm…I don’t like it here. It’s really small, and I feel like, the air is so thick, I’m being suffocated slowly, and I feel as if,’ her voice dropped, ‘I keep feeling like someone is watching us.’ She expected him to laugh at her, and say she was being a stupid little girl as he usually did, but he didn’t. He looked at her with soft, brown eyes, smiling slightly.  
‘I _know_ that something is watching,’ he muttered, as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear. ‘But if we start running it’s gonna catch us, it may go away if we don’t show it we’re afraid.’  
‘But we _are_ afraid,’ she argued quietly.  
‘Yeah, but maybe if we can draw the hunt out long enough, the sun will rise and I will have the strength to kill it, before it wakes up…the others.’  
‘Others?’ she asked, her voice shaking slightly.  
‘Can’t you smell it? I’m no hanyou right now but you can taste it in the foulness of the air… there’s worse things than your average fear demon in this temple, the evil in the air is just…overpowering.’ Kagome didn’t like the serious tone to his voice, it meant he was sure of what he said, and what he had said was bad.  
  
Rin hadn’t liked what she had heard either, and she held onto Kagome’s hand tighter, relying on the girl for protection seeing Kagome as the next best after Sesshomaru to protect her. Her heart froze as she thought it. _Sesshomaru,_ she thought, _where are you? You can’t be dead, can you?_ Her heart felt heavy, she wouldn’t believe it, he was not dead; he couldn’t have left her behind, couldn’t have left her when she was in trouble. She knew he would find her, and be back for her, he was not dead. The thought, even though it calmed her to think it, seemed to her precious heart unlikely and silent tears poured down her face. Kagome leant against Inuyasha’s shoulder slightly, making the human smile. This smile was brief, yet Rin saw it, and caught there, a glimpse of the affection he held for the girl beside him, and Rin suddenly felt at ease around him, for some unknown reason.  
  
At the rear of the group, Miroku and Sango fought to suppress giggles at their companions.  
‘Don’t those two look cosy?’ asked Miroku with a giggle.  
‘Oh, come on Miroku,’ muttered Sango finally, thanking that Inuyasha did not have the demon ability of hearing, and did not hear their teasing. ‘They never act like this, how are they ever supposed to get it together if _you_ tease them all the time?’  
‘Me? You’re the one who started it; you sang the little song about-’  
‘Sssssh!’ she hushed him as his voice started to rise.  
‘They do look like such a cute couple though don’t they?’ Sango nodded, suppressing a grin.  
‘Too bad this doesn’t happen to Inuyasha every month, grumpy anxiety aside he seems to be nicer when he’s like this’  
‘It’s all those demon hormones, their all raging about in his _tiny_ brain and he’s so busy trying not to embarrass himself with his stinking attitude that he forgets to think before he talks.’ Miroku realised his voice was rising again, as Inuyasha turned, catching only brief words from the sentence, and he gazed suspiciously back at them through the corner of his eye before turning his head back.  
‘Oh, and you think before you talk?’ she asked.  
‘I do, sometimes…just not, very often.’  
‘Not at all,’ she muttered.  
‘I do think before I speak! I just don’t think before I act.’  
‘Well, that’s the first true thing you’ve ever said,’ she agreed, rolling her eyes.  
‘Hey now Sango I-’ he broke off, and they all stopped dead in their tracks. The ceiling quaked threateningly, small pieces crumbling from it. They all stared in fear at the ceiling, praying it would not fall, ready to run, ready for the unexpected.  
  
Suddenly, a sharp, thundering smash sounded as something crashed through the hard, stone-slab ceiling. Inuyasha pulled Kagome and Rin backwards, crashing to the floor; Kilala skidded under the downfall and onto Kagome’s lap, Shippo leaping backwards into Sango and Miroku, skidding away from it. They all leapt warily to their feet, and their eyes widened in horror, they were separated, on opposite sides. They saw that it was in fact a thin, transparent wall, looking almost like liquid as it divided them from each other. Miroku approached it warily, and against the cries of protest from his friends, leant forward to touch it.  
  
He screamed as the electric jolt shocked him, and Sango leapt forward, wrenching his arm from the mysterious water’s grasp. The great shimmering wall shook as Miroku was pulled free, and where his arm was moments before, sat temporarily a small hole, which sealed up again quickly. Inuyasha grinned, he had an idea. He pulled Tetsusaiga sharply from its sheath, and leaping forward with a yell, before slicing through the watery substance with the demonic blade. A great gash was in its place when it was withdrawn, but it was closing fast. Kagome pulled Rin up into her arms, and threw her through the gap, Sango catching her with ease. Next Kilala was thrown through, the gap nearly catching one of her tails. Miroku snatched her from the water before it had time to shock the cat demon, and the gap was sealed. Inuyasha held Kagome close to him as he raised Tetsusaiga once more, but as he sliced through the water, it seemed to roar with anger, and sprang violently against them, knocking them crashing to the floor or through it…  
  
The floor, just where they were flung smashed easily in its age, the ancient stone having cracks all through it, and they plummeted downwards, out of their friends’ sight, the only remains of them their terrified screams, until they too faded from hearing.  
‘INUYASHA! KAGOME!’ they screamed in horror, as Sango raised Hirakoitsu, going to slash her way through the watery barrier. The water let out the same, shrill roar, before lunging at them.  
‘This way!’ yelled Miroku, dragging Sango through the side tunnel they had decided not to pass through earlier, the others following swiftly, only just avoiding being crushed by the raging typhoon.  
  
  
TBC


	7. The Glass Path

_The Glass Path  
Seven  
  
  
_ The air whistled sharply as they fell swiftly down, and down…never able to see anything about them but complete blackness, and never seeming to be able to see the bottom of this endless fall. The emptiness resounded to Kagome’s screams of terror; Inuyasha closed his eyes as he held Kagome, his hazel orbs watering with the force of the air. Suddenly the blackness was full of dazzling, star-like lights, hovering still in the emptiness, and Inuyasha opened his eyes. He pulled his hand over Kagome's mouth, and she looked up to where he was looking.  
‘Wh…what are they?’ she asked hesitantly. Inuyasha shook his head, having no idea. All of a sudden the shimmering lights vibrated menacingly, and charged towards them. They encircled them, spinning wildly about, making Inuyasha and Kagome dizzy, before they dropped downwards, and as Inuyasha and Kagome followed the lights with their eyes, they saw what was below them.  
  
Inuyasha flinched as his body hit the hard surface full force, and Kagome sat up, getting up off him shakily.  
‘Shit! That bloody hurt!’ screamed Inuyasha, getting to his feet, only to fall back over on his front again, uttering a chain of swear words that Kagome wouldn’t have approved of, if she were listening. She stood gazing about her, realising that there was nothing about them again but blackness, however, below them was quite a different story. It was not stone ground that they had landed on, not earth, but glass. The surface beneath them was thick glass, the shimmering lights gathered beneath it, lighting all the way along the glass path. She turned back to Inuyasha with a smile on her face, as he picked himself off the floor, steadying himself before throwing her a glare. ‘what the hell you grinning at?’ he barked at her though she still smiled.  
‘It’s really pretty,’ she answered. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.  
‘Whatever, trust you to say somethin’ as stupid as that when we’re in this situation.’  
‘What do you mean, _trust me_?’ Inuyasha ignored her question, walking to her side, staring about them, and then at the glass beneath their feet. ‘Where are we?’ she asked, seeing that he wasn’t going to answer her other question.  
‘I have no idea.’ He knelt down, running his human fingers over the layer of glass. ‘But it’s really…really weird…’  
  
Inuyasha tapped slightly with his finger on the glass after tracing over it a little while, and the lights beneath his finger shifting slightly. ‘And those things are…alive.’  
‘Alive? But what are they?’  
‘I think they are...spirits,’ he told her quietly, not looking up from the glass.  
‘Spirits, of what?’ she asked, only barely realising she must be annoying him by now.  
‘I have no idea, all I know is they must have been pretty bad people when they were alive, to be sent here.’ Kagome fell really quiet suddenly and just stared sadly at the spirits through the glass. ‘They’re in the Temple of Lost Souls, souls that were so evil that they strayed from the path and came here, for all eternity, Kazuya must have been one of these.’ He then turned as he realised how quiet she had gone, and looked up at her. ‘Kagome?’  
‘I think it’s really…really sad, to be here, for all eternity. It’s dark, and lonely, and…horrible.’ Inuyasha smiled slightly.  
‘It only happens to evil spirits.’  
‘No one deserves this,’ she said quietly, as Inuyasha stood up, she broke her gaze away from the shimmering lights, and looked into his dark eyes.  
‘I’m afraid, that some people do deserve this, and you can’t tell me that there is no one you think deserves this for eternity.’ Kagome knew he was right, Naraku, after all the malicious, cruel things he did, deserved to be here, like so many of the other demons they had fought over the last few years. She realised how silly she had just been, and felt rather stupid.  
  
Inuyasha bent down, and picked up Tetsusaiga from where it had fallen beside them, sliding it back into its sheath. ‘I don’t like this place though; I think we should keep moving.’  
‘But, how can we find Sango, Miroku and the others,?’  
‘Something tells me they won’t just be waiting up there, they will have gone by now, and they’ll be looking for us.’  
‘But they’ll never find us!’ exclaimed Kagome hysterically, ‘We’re trapped here forever, and we’ll never see them again!’  
‘Hey!’ he shouted, grabbing her attention. ‘We are not going to be here forever, we’re getting out of here, and we’re taking the others with us, that I promise you.’ Kagome still said nothing, and her face was filled with worry. ‘Hey,’ he said softly, tilting her head to look up at him, ‘have I ever broken a promise to you?’ Kagome said nothing, but she smiled weakly in reply. ‘Now come on, we’ve got to keep moving,’ he said, turning and walking onward, Kagome running to his side, not wanting to be alone in the dark.  
‘But, why this way, the path leads off into darkness both ways, why this way?’  
‘The lights are going this way,’ he explained, still walking.  
‘You just said they were evil, why are you trusting them?’  
‘They’re evil, but I think they’re showing us the way.’  
‘What if they’re lying?’  
‘They probably are, but it’s dangerous to think too much about your decisions, especially when you’re in one of these places.’  
‘Why?’ she asked, looking warily at the lights below their feet.  
‘In ancient times, evil used to trick you into making decisions involving their path, their decisions, and people that did that often stopped, thinking about what if the evil were lying, if they weren’t, if they expected you to know they were lying. In the end, the good guys always used to loose themselves, and break away from their group, making them weak, and getting lost.’ He paused here, leaving Kagome feeling a little freaked out, thinking the lights anything but pretty. ‘They use their tricks to separate you, and drive you to madness and despair, they don’t even have to use up their energy, one simple decision of theirs could lead us to driving ourselves to our fate; you see what I mean?’  
  
Kagome understood, only now she wished she didn’t, and she slid her arm into Inuyasha’s, trying to make herself feel better.  
‘Don’t you have any better stories?’ she asked, her voice shaking, ‘ones that don’t involve freaky souls, mad people, demons and death.’  
‘Heh, sorry, not exactly the right person to ask,’ he muttered his voice also shaking, though with a false confidence. ‘My life’s pretty much been one big demon based story. Even when I was a kid I-’ he broke off, realising what he was talking about, and fell silent. Kagome looked up at him sorrowfully. It seemed so sad that someone like him had to grow up without anyone, and to have everyone hate him and push him away because he was a hanyou, it was no wonder he acted as he did. Kagome thought of her own family back in her era, she didn’t know how she would have managed to grow up on her own like he had, he may have been part demon, but he was still part human as well. _He must have been really scared, and confused, and lonely,_ she thought, still looking up at him as they walked. Inuyasha looked back at her, realising she was staring at him. ‘What’re you looking at?’ he asked quietly.  
‘Nothing,’ she replied distantly, ‘I just…I wish I could let you know…’ she muttered the last part, only just aware that she had said it aloud.  
‘Let me know what?’ he asked, stopping and looking at her confusedly.  
  
Kagome hadn’t realised he had heard her, and continued into her pensive state, not hearing him. ‘Kagome?’ he asked, and she looked at him, ‘let me know what?’ Kagome looked at the ground, hesitantly opening her mouth to reply.  
‘You know…you know you’re not alone, right?’ she asked, her voice quieter than usual.  
‘What?’ he asked in bewilderment.  
‘Well, do you?’ Inuyasha flushed, and scratched the back of his neck.  
‘Well I…guess so.’  
‘Because, I want you to know that…’ she stopped, unable to say what she wanted to, unable to let him know what she felt. ‘I’m not going to leave you, no matter what happens, no matter the choices you make; I’ll be by your side…’ Inuyasha was getting more and more confused by the moment.  
‘But why - why are you telling me this?’  
‘Because you don’t seem to understand,’ she replied, even more quietly.  
‘Understand what?’  
‘How I feel.’  
‘Am I supposed to understand that?’ he asked.  
‘No,’ she replied, slightly sad, ‘I don’t suppose so.’  
  
She started walking again, hating herself in her mind. She had the perfect chance to tell him then, and she blew it. Kagome sighed; she knew she would never have the courage to tell him. Inuyasha quickened his pace to catch up to her, and then walked at her side.  
‘Umm, Kagome?’ he asked, and she looked up at him once more. ‘I think that I…I know what you meant, and umm, I feel a lot better - knowing that you’ll never leave me, that you’ll…And I know I don’t understand what you feel, but I…I think I want to, understand.’ Kagome smiled at him, still walking.  
‘Does that mean that you want me to tell you?’ she asked, and he looked down as he walked, a flush growing on his cheeks, his black hair hanging into his eyes, as he nodded slightly. ‘Okay…’ she muttered, blushing. ‘Inuyasha, I-’ She cut off as the glass path shuddered, causing Inuyasha and her to nearly collapse. Inuyasha looked about wildly, the spirits were zooming about insanely through the blackness, and the path glowed with a dim, white light. ‘Umm, Inu…Inuyasha,’ said Kagome, tugging on the sleeve of his red kimono.  
  
He turned to face her, and saw what she had seen; a gigantic silhouette, almost as dark as the blackness around them, was steeping closer and closer with every moment.  
‘Kagome, how many arrows you got left?’ he asked nervously  
‘None, I used them all on the dragon.’  
‘Shit, I thought you were gonna say that,’ Inuyasha stepped backwards slightly.  
’This is all my fault, if I had focused on the dragon properly it would have only needed one arrow, I’m such a-’ Inuyasha looked at her sharply.  
‘Don’t give me that, I told you to shoot, and you hit the damn lizard that’s enough, now stop it okay?’ Kagome nodded, swallowing hard as the monster stepped closer. ‘What are we gonna do now?’  
‘I have an idea,’ stuttered Kagome.  
‘What’s that?’  
‘Run!’ she snatched Inuyasha’s hand, and sped along the glass path in the opposite direction to the shadow.  
‘Kagome, what the hell are you doing?’ he yelled, never one to want to run away from a fight, even when the odds were stacked against him.  
‘Staying alive, do you mind?’ Inuyasha didn’t argue, seeing she would probably _sit_ him if he protested.  
  
They seemed to have been running forever, Kagome’s sides ached from lack of breath, and Inuyasha even seemed to be tired out.  
‘I would rather be eaten, I can’t run anymore,’ he whined in a pathetic voice, collapsing to his knees, Kagome kneeling beside him. The path trembled as the creature stepped after them, only yards away from them, though it was still partially obscured, and all that could be seen was its menacing outline and burning red eyes. The glass shook more and more violently underneath them, and Kagome wondered if it would shatter under the weight. Suddenly she had an idea, _shatter_. She leant forward on Inuyasha, making him look at her in confusion. She pulled Tetsusaiga from its sheath, and held it up. ‘Kagome, what are you doing?’ he asked nervously, not liking the look of this. The sword glimmered in the light from the spirits and the path, as Kagome swung it with all her might, towards the ground. The blade struck the glass, and at first nothing happened, then, cracks split across the path, just where Kagome stood, and it shattered. Inuyasha leapt forward, pulling her back. The break was not big enough for the creature, and Inuyasha got to his feet, snatching the sword away from her. ‘Ya wanna tell me before you do something like that again?’ he asked angrily, as he pulled her to her feet. He was annoyed at her for doing such a stupid thing, although he had to admit, it was a good idea, if only she’d done it right.  
  
Inuyasha grabbed her hand, and ran the opposite direction from their relentless pursuer. He threw Kagome to the floor, dropping to her side. Kagome looked at him in surprise as he slid his hand into hers.  
‘Whatever happens, promise me you’ll get yourself out of here.’  
‘What? Inuyasha-’  
‘No, promise me,’ he insisted, looking firmly into her eyes.  
‘But you’ll come back?’  
‘Kagome please, promise me.’  
‘I…I promise, but you’ll come back?’ Inuyasha smiled weakly, getting to his feet, and releasing her hand from his, at the last possible moment.  
  
The creature had stepped past the break Kagome had made in the glass, and with one look back at Kagome, he charged forward. Tetsusaiga rang as it sliced through the glass, even though it wasn’t transformed the glass couldn’t withstand it, and it cracked, with Inuyasha still on it. Inuyasha looked up, and to his horror, the creature was translucent, the only corporeal part to it, its hideous blood red orbs; it was an illusion, a trick to get him to fall off the path. Inuyasha tried to turn back, but the glass shattered under his feet. ‘INUYASHA!’ He clawed with his human fingers to snatch at the path’s edge as the creature faded from view, transforming into millions of the spirits, they had tricked him. As he snatched at the path’s edge, his hand snagged a sharp point, and he released it, his hand dripping with blood. He closed his eyes, feeling the air pass over him, waiting to fall, and he did.  
Suddenly, he felt his hand jerked upwards, and he looked up, to see Kagome hanging dangerously far over the edge, both hands tight round his wrist.  
‘Kagome what are you doing?’  
‘You think I’d let you fall idiot? You’re always saving me.’ She replied, trying to pull him up. The glass beneath her was cracked from Tetsusaiga, it was going to shatter.  
‘Kagome let go!’  
‘What?’  
‘You’re gonna fall if you don’t, the glass is breaking!’ Kagome smiled, pulling him up a little more.  
‘Then I guess we’ll both fall.’  
‘Idiot, don’t be stupid, let go of me!’  
‘I promised I would always be by your side,’ she said, her voice becoming stronger as she heaved him up higher. ‘And if you fall, then I guess I have to follow you.’  
‘It’s not a game Kagome, let go of me or you’ll die! I’m too heavy for you to pull up!’  
‘Oh yeah,’ she said, pulling him up a little more, her arms being dug into by the shattered edge, her blood dripping onto Inuyasha’s face.  
‘Kagome, let go of me dammit!’ she ignored him, and with all her might heaved him up, and he landed on top of her. Inuyasha got hastily to his feet, pulling her back off the edge as it crumbled beneath them, and dropping down beside her as they reached a safe distance from the shattered edge.  
  
After a moment of fighting to get his breath back, he turned to look angrily at her. ‘You stupid! Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Stupid, girl! You could have died and it would have been all my fault! Don’t you ever do that again - and what the hell are you smiling at?’ he shouted. She continued to smile at him, it was annoying him slightly, he was trying to be angry with her and she was smiling.  
‘I’m just happy you’re okay,’ she replied, grabbing the wrist of his wounded hand, and pulling it towards her.  
‘What are you doing?’ he asked nervously.  
‘You’re hand’s bleeding,’ she replied casually, tearing the bottom of her green school skirt, and wrapping it carefully round his wounded palm. Inuyasha tried not to blush as she did so, and he looked at the jagged tears in her shirt’s sleeves, and the blood dripping from the wound.  
‘And what about you?’ he asked stroking along her arm with his free hand. She shook her head, a smile still on her face.  
‘Stop being such an idiot and let someone look after _you_ for once,’ she said firmly, though with the remnants of a smile twitching at her lips. Inuyasha smiled back at her, trying to make her give him a full smile back, though she avoided his eye. He eventually caught her eye, and she smiled back, tying the cloth round his hand.  
Inuyasha tightened his hand, testing the tightness, and he looked back to her. ‘Okay?’ she asked. He nodded.  
‘I thought I was the one who was supposed to look after you.’  
‘You are.’  
‘Funny, seems to be the other way round a lot of the time,’ he said, smiling still.  
‘Are you complaining?’  
‘No,’ he replied, ‘I guess, it’s kind of different, besides my mother, you’re the only one who looked after me at all, though I guess my father must have when he was alive, can’t remember him much though, Sesshomaru knew him more than I did, I was still a baby when he was killed as you know, so…’ Kagome thought nothing of his unfinished sentence; most sentences in the conversations about his past were incomplete.  
‘Inuyasha, do you ever…I mean, do you ever wish that Sesshomaru had done as your father asked? Do you ever wish he had taken care of you as he had asked?’ Inuyasha looked into her hazel orbs, a thoughtful expression on his face.  
‘I guess, I hate him, more than anything, and I would kill him in an instant, but…a small part of me, wishes that when my mother died, I would have had someone to look after me. Maybe then I wouldn’t be so screwed up.’ Kagome smiled at him, and he looked oddly at her. ‘What?’  
‘Nothing I’m just…I’m grateful that you would share something like that with me, that’s all.’ Inuyasha smiled slightly back.  
‘Well, you know everything else about me,’ he replied. _Not everything,_ she thought, _if I asked you about_ **her** , you’d never answer...I know you too well to even think you’d answer. Then she thought, since he was being so open, there was a slight chance, and she wanted to take it, but she wondered if it was a good idea…  
  
‘Inuyasha?’ she asked, and he looked back at her. ‘If I asked you a question, would you promise to answer it?’ Inuyasha looked at her oddly.  
‘I guess so, what’s wrong?’  
‘Nothing I just...’ she stopped, Kikyo was a delicate situation between her and Inuyasha, and anything about the priestess could turn either one of them nasty. ‘I know that you were in love with Kikyo before Naraku tricked you both, but I…I think that…do you still love her?’ Inuyasha looked shocked to hear her ask this question, as Kagome was to find herself able to ask it, but she felt she needed to hear it, whether she would like his answer or not.  
‘That’s a hell of a question, huh?’ he asked his voice nervous slightly. ‘Kagome, I d-’ Inuyasha’s sentence broke off, as he looked over Kagome, and his eyes widened as he saw what was lurking in the blackness. ‘Kagome look-’ but it was too late the swirling, raging shadow smacked her across her jaw, and she flew off the edge. Inuyasha leapt to the edge, snatching her hand up in his uninjured one, and holding her tightly. ‘Hang on Kagome!’ he shouted going to pull her up.  
‘Inuyasha!’ the glowing spirits swirled around him, and leapt onto his hand, burning him.  
‘Aaaah! Get off me!’ he shouted, closing his eyes at the searing pain.  
‘Inuyasha!’ screamed Kagome again, as her fingers slipped; only holding onto Inuyasha’s fingertips. Then she slipped, he snatched violently in the air for her fingers, but she fell, the darkness swallowing her up within moments.  
  
Inuyasha growled angrily, and leapt up, smacking the spirits violently away from him. Readying to jump after Kagome, but he couldn’t. The shimmering lights grabbed Inuyasha, burning his skin as they held him up into the air.  
‘Get off me you fucking fireflies!’ he screamed, trying to wrench himself from their grip. They flung him away from them, sending him soaring through the air, and downwards, plummeting into the darkness beneath the path, the opposite side to where Kagome had fallen moments before.  
  
  
  
TBC


	8. The Raven Veil

_The Raven Veil  
Eight  
  
  
_ Miroku dragged Sango as fast as he could up the small passageway, Shippo, Kilala and Rin close on their heels, as the water launched after them, surging wildly through the passage.  
‘Guess it didn’t like you guys slicing great big holes in it!’ Shippo shouted.  
‘Sympathy for liquid later, survival now!’ Sango replied, trying not to feel guilty about leaving Kagome and Inuyasha down - wherever they had fallen. Miroku led them through all different passageways that led off their path, but still the water surged after them, drawing closer and closer. Suddenly, Miroku stopped, slamming Sango into the crevice in the wall beside him. They pinned themselves in it, but Shippo, Kilala and Rin did not see them, and they carried on running.  
‘Shippo!’ shouted Miroku, but as the kitsune turned, the water lunged forward, and descended upon the three of them. Rin scuffed her toes on the ground, and fell forward, slamming into the ground.  
‘Rin!’ screamed Sango, trying to pull out of the crevice to help her, but Miroku pinned her there, keeping her safe.  
  
Shippo and Kilala turned as they heard Rin fall, and turned back, running towards her. Shippo tugged at her arm, trying to get her up, but she was dizzy, and disorientated, and she whimpered as Shippo tugged on her consciousness, trying to get her to move.  
‘Rin, come on, it’s coming!’ squeaked Shippo, as the water reared backwards, launching down at them, preparing to swallow them up. Kilala mewed in fear, cowering behind Shippo, and the kitsune looked up, flinching, preparing himself for the blow. Kilala was swallowed in a ball of flames, and she transformed, leaping before Shippo and Rin, taking the full attack of the water. Kilala roared in agony as the electrifying sensation coursed through her blood, boiling it.  
  
‘Kilala No!’ screamed Sango, ‘Miroku let me go!’  
‘No, you’ll die!’  
‘Kilala will die! I have lost my brother, and everything else I’ve ever known, if you make me watch her slip away I will go INSANE!’ she pushed Miroku against the wall beside her, and threw Hirakoitsu on the water, leaping onto it. The air rushed past her as Hirakoitsu skidded along the waves of electrified water, and Sango surfed them towards Kilala. Kilala’s body gave in to the stress being put on it, and she transformed back, and the water surged over her, Rin and Shippo. Sango dragged them up onto Hirakoitsu as the wave was about to hit them, pulling them to safety.  
  
Suddenly the water threw them from its surface, and they flew through the air, skidding across the ground to a halt. Miroku leapt out of the crevice in the wall, and saw his friends under the line of attack of the giant wave of electricity.  
‘Sango! Hit the ground and get a grip on something!’ he shouted, and Sango flung herself to the stone floor, pinning Rin, Kilala and Shippo beneath her. Miroku pulled the beads off his wrist, and his kazaana opened once more. The water roared as it was sucked into the portal, and Sango made sure to keep her head down as it dragged the demonic liquid into oblivion.  
  
Miroku sealed the kazaana up again, and ran to his friends’ side, helping them to their feet. ‘You okay?’ he asked them.  
‘Yeah,’ muttered Sango; as Rin nodded in reply, Sango picked up Kilala and Shippo hopped up onto Miroku’s shoulder.  
‘That was less than comforting,’ whined Shippo, as they started walking again, ‘So can we find Kagome and Inuyasha, so we can get the hell out of here? Miroku?’ Sango looked to the monk, he was staring dead ahead.  
‘Miroku, are you okay?’ asked Sango, looking at him worriedly.  
‘Hmm? Oh yeah, fine,’ he replied, not very convincingly. ‘I just…thought I saw something ahead.’ They all turned their heads to look, seeing something within the blackness ahead, twinkling.  
‘I see it,’ said Rin. They all stepped forward hesitantly, wondering what it was.  
  
As the group neared the mysterious darkness, they saw exactly what it was that they had all seen. A long, glistening veil hung from the ceiling to the floor, almost translucent, in fact it was only when they stood right before it that they realised it was a veil. It was a raven coloured curtain, bearing dazzling, glittering sparkles upon it, which twinkled as the veil swayed lightly with the breeze created from their movements. Shippo’s green eyes were entrance by it, as were the wide, red eyes of Kilala.  
‘Strange,’ muttered Miroku, as the kitsune jumped off his shoulder, nearing the veil. ‘Very…very strange.’  
‘What do you think it is here for?’ asked Rin, walking to Miroku’s side. Sango remained silent, as Kilala hopped out of her arms to stand beside Shippo.  
‘It doesn’t matter,’ said Sango nervously as she saw how interested the smallest of them seemed to be in it. ‘Whatever it is, it’s in our way, so let’s go back another way, we need to find Kagome and Inu-’  
‘But it’s really pretty…’ murmured Shippo, a foreboding calmness to his voice.  
‘Huh, really peculiar you mean,’ huffed Miroku, bored of it now, and getting rather grumpy with the lack of sleep. ‘Let’s go.’  
  
Miroku, Sango and Rin walked a little way before they realised Kilala and Shippo weren’t following.  
‘Shippo? Kilala?’ asked Sango nervously, but they didn’t reply.  
‘Miss Sango,’ Sango turned to look down at Rin, ‘do you realise that that veil seems to hold some sort of spell over them?’ Sango nodded, it was true, they were entranced by it, and didn’t seem to hear anything around them.  
‘And…it’s only the demons out of us that are under the influence of the spell,’ added Miroku. Sango shuddered at his words, her thoughts straying back to a story she once heard about an enchanted black veil, which shimmered within darkness, drawing demons to its foreboding beauty. The veil was the dark curtain, it drew in its victims, and then ensnared them in its trap, but no one knew exactly what happened afterwards, or actually how the victims were killed, no one lived long enough to tell. Then she realised what the veil was, it was the same veil in the story.  
  
Shippo leant forward, reaching out to touch the shimmering veil.  
‘Shippo no!’ shouted Sango, ‘don’t touch that, it’s the-’ She broke off as his tiny finger touched it, Kilala’s paw making contact moments after. Suddenly, the spell over them seemed to break, and they snapped back into reality.  
‘Sango, Miroku?’ the monk and the youkai exterminator sighed.  
‘Thank god, you’re okay,’ sighed Miroku, ‘let’s go now, before you guys get yourself into even more trouble.’  
‘Well I can’t.’  
‘What do you mean you can’t?’ asked Sango impatiently, grabbing Shippo’s hand and dragging him backwards, but his hand wouldn’t break free from the veil.  
‘My hand is stuck to the veil,’ muttered the kitsune. Sango was getting really tired and annoyed now, and she and Shippo both pulled with all their might against the veil, pushing with their feet against the curtain, only to realise that now their feet were stuck too. Sango looked from her upside-down state to Miroku, her hair hanging down onto the floor. Miroku approached with an evil grin on his face.  
‘Don’t get any ideas you pervert, just get me down from here!’ she said angrily.  
‘Come on Sango, don’t be such a spoil sport,’ he whinged.  
‘No! You don’t understand the veil is-’  
‘Okay fine, just a sec and I’ll have you down-’  
‘No don’t touch it or you’ll get stuck too!’ she shouted desperately, but too late, Miroku reached up to pull the veil down, but he got stuck to it.  
  
Moments later, Shippo, Kilala and Sango rolled their eyes at Miroku’s stupidity, as he struggled futilely, getting himself in and even worse mess, until his legs were tangled in the veil, and he too was hanging upside-down.  
‘Trust you, you can’t even rescue us from some cloth without making a mess of it,’ muttered Shippo.  
‘Umm, Guys-’  
‘Hey, I tried at least!’  
‘Well not very well!’  
‘Guys the-’  
‘This is your fault anyway, you got stuck first!’  
‘Guys!’ shouted Sango, finally getting her sentence in. They looked at her obediently. ‘The veil, it’s umm, not really a veil anymore…’ The others looked around, Rin still standing on the ground looking in terror up at them; the veil, was not a veil anymore, or perhaps never was. It glimmered with the same black radiance, and gave off shimmering, glittering sparkles of light, but it was no curtain…it was a web!  
  
‘Oh - my god!’ squeaked Shippo, tugging at the sticky, black webbing, trying to pull himself free. Miroku gulped, looking around him as the webbing shuddered slightly, and gave off an eerie, low glow. Kilala also tried to tug herself free, until her wide red eyes grew even larger, and she mewed in terror up at Sango, trying to get her attention. Sango tossed her long dark hair from her face, looking up at what the terrified cat demon had seen, and she gasped.  
‘Rin, you have to get us down from here!’ she shouted to the child on the ground below. Rin shook her head; she had no idea what to do. Miroku too felt the webbing shudder, and he looked up at the cause.  
‘Rin,’ he said, his voice shaking. ‘Start…looking…for things to get us down with.’ Rin looked up at the creature, edging closer and closer to its prey, and she gazed madly about her, searching.  
  
Shippo squealed as he saw the gigantic, hairy legged, red-eyed creature edging closer, trying even more desperately to free himself. The spider crept closer, the web shaking under the weight of the massive creature, but not swaying or failing under it. The green-tinted, foul smelling saliva of the spider, dripped from its fanged mouth and Miroku winced as it dropped across his shoulder.  
‘Urgh! That’s disgusting!’ the monk cried, making Sango feel slightly sick as she looked up to see it.  
‘Hurry up Rin!’ she called, only to heighten Rin’s panic. The girl ran frantically about below, not being able to find anything. Suddenly she heard Shippo scream, and she turned, to see the monster nearing him, a greedy, hungry look in its many eyes. Rin looked about even more frantically, as if she hoped something would suddenly appear, then she had an idea, a stupid one, but she had no other choice.  
  
Rin knelt down, picking up a stone from the ground, and launched it full speed at the demon. It hit the spider in one of its many eyes, and it roared, looking down at where it had come from, setting its sights on Rin.  
‘Take that!’ she shouted, ‘And this!’ she threw another stone at the monster, and another, and another; until she was sure she had its full attention. The spider roared again, and launched itself from the web, and charged on its eight legs at Rin. Rin turned and ran; hoping one of the others would have an idea. Sango and the others looked desperately at the girl, trying hard to think of a way out if this mess. Then Miroku had an idea, and he turned to Shippo.  
‘Shippo, transform.’ The kitsune looked confusedly up at him.  
‘Into what?’  
‘Anything, fiery?’ he replied.  
‘Why can’t Kilala do it?’ he moaned lazily.  
‘Just do it Shippo!’ shouted Sango, and Shippo rolled his eyes.  
‘TRANSFORM!’ he shouted, and with a poof of smoke, he dropped to the floor, in an identical copy of Kilala, except for the wide, green eyes instead of red, making him look extremely odd.  
  
The Kilala copy opened its mouth wide, and roaring flames shot towards the spider, but the spider ignored it, still chasing Rin.  
‘Shippo, help us first!’ shouted Miroku, and then the Shippo-Kilala turned to face them. Using the duplicate copy of Kilala’s fiery powers, Shippo freed Sango, Miroku and the real Kilala, and they dropped to the ground, getting hastily to their feet. With another poof, Shippo turned back to his usual appearance, his transformation now exhausted. Miroku held out his staff, and Sango armed herself with Hirakoitsu. The creature growled as Rin tripped, and he pinned the tiny girl to the ground with one of its great hairy legs, it pincers clicking menacingly, making her shiver. The boomerang flew towards the spider, slicing off two of its legs, snatching its attention away from Rin. The spider turned angrily, charging towards Sango as she caught Hirakoitsu when it returned to her.  
  
The spider shot a long shot of sticky web at Sango, knocking Hirakoitsu from her grip. Not to be beaten, Sango drew out the sword from the sheath attached to her, and she looked to Miroku, receiving a nod, and they leapt forward. Miroku’s staff swept another leg from underneath the spider, causing it to nearly loose its balance. The creature leapt at the monk, descending upon him, only to have Sango skid underneath it, slicing of another leg with her sword, and his attention was stolen once more.  
‘TRANSFORM!’ shouted Shippo, disappearing with a poof of smoke. The blade that Shippo had transformed into swiped at the spider, missing, only to be smacked into the wall, knocking the kitsune into a daze, and making him loose his transformation. Kilala pawed at him, too exhausted to transform herself, and Rin crawled to their side, the battle was left up to the monk and the youkai exterminator.  
  
As the spider’s attention was focused on Sango, slashing at the disgusting skin under its belly, Miroku jumped onto its back, and parted another two legs from its body with his staff, its crimson blood splattering across the passage’s walls. The spider went to crush Sango, but she had an idea; as it went to squash her beneath its massive body weight, she stuck her sword up in the air, and skidded out from under the creature. The spider howled as the sword shot through its belly, and reared back, charging once more at Sango. The spider, only bearing three legs now in all, was no match, and Miroku swiped off another two legs from its great back, before being thrown to the ground beside Sango, as the Spider entered a mad frenzy. Miroku clutched his head, and a dribble of blood trickled down his face. Sango leant forward, and ran her fingers along the wound, making him flinch.  
‘Sorry,’ she muttered softly, but he smiled, and she smiled back.  
  
It seemed to escape the attention of two _lovebirds,_ but it had not escaped the attention of the other three, that the spider writhed and flung itself about in agony, its blood flying everywhere. Eventually, Sango noticed the spider, and rolled her eyes, walking towards the beast. ‘Oh for gods sake!’ she shouted. A blade shot up from the armour on her wrist, and she sliced off the remaining leg. ‘Shut up.’ The spider rolled over, giving a last twitch, but then, it moved no more.  
  
Sango walked over to Rin, pulling her and the others to their feet, and Miroku walking up beside her.  
‘Well, he was a bit messy wasn’t he?’ asked Miroku, trying to make a joke, only stirring an odd look from the others. ‘Oh come on guys,’ whined the monk, ‘I try so hard and I don’t even get a giggle for all my trouble.’  
‘Get over it,’ muttered Shippo, hopping onto Miroku’s shoulder. Sango rolled her eyes at them.  
‘Hey, you okay?’ she asked Rin sweetly, crouching down to the girl’s level. Rin nodded in reply with a smile. Sango sneered as she heard the monk and the kitsune start another childish argument about absolutely nothing. _Shame Inuyasha isn’t here, the conversation is short one idiot,_ she thought, only to have her thought interrupted as she felt the monk’s hand reaching down towards her. She turned sharply, and smacked the side of his face when she realised the path of his hand. ‘Is that all you think about?’ she shouted, only to receive a falsely innocent smile from him, before continuing his argument with Shippo. Sango felt a migraine rising through her at the sounding of the monk and the kitsune’s squealing, and went to silence them, when she heard something, or maybe sensed it, maybe both...  
  
She forced her hands over their mouths, silencing them. ‘Sssssh!’ she hissed, and they gazed at her in bewilderment. ‘I can hear something…’ They all listened hard, their ears (whether human or youkai), strained to hear what they dared not believe they thought they’d heard. Sango straightened up as soon as her ears caught the sound again, and she dashed up the tunnel in its direction, the others hot on her heels.  
‘Sango! Sango wait!’ The woman turned her head, still running as the monk called her.  
‘I heard them, Miroku I swear I heard them!’  
‘I know you did, we did too,’ he gasped as he ran, dragging Rin along behind him by her hand, ‘but what if it’s another trick-’  
‘-It’s not, it’s them, it has to be!’ She carried on running as if the battle with the spider had not even stolen a breath from her, the others following in her wake.  
  
Miroku had heard it, but he had doubts about following it for many reasons. Firstly it may be a trap set, just use the sounds to lure them in. Secondly if they were real, it may still be a trap to capture them; lastly, he wondered if _they_ had heard the sound, what other creatures within this forsaken, evil ridden place could have heard it as well? Rin, Shippo and Kilala had heard them too, but like Miroku, they wondered where they would lead them, to follow the distant echoes of their friends’ voices.  
  
  
TBC  



	9. The Black Mirror

_The Black Mirror  
Nine  
  
  
_ Kagome moaned loudly as she slipped suddenly back into consciousness. She sat up sharply, rubbing her head as a migraine shot through her temples, and she looked about her. It had torches all along the stone walls, casting dim firelight on the ancient runes carved there; it was a lot like the halls in the above level, when she and Inuyasha had been with Sango and the others… _Inuyasha!_ She thought desperately, _what happened to me?_ She thought back, and slowly she remembered it all. She had fallen, and Inuyasha had tried to catch her. _But those things,_ she thought, _those spirits stopped him.  
  
_ ‘Guess Inuyasha was right,’ she said aloud to herself, ‘those spirits really _did_ deserve to be there.’ She stood up, relieved to find herself able to walk steadily, even though this was the third time she had passed out in the same night, (if she included when she had fallen asleep). She looked around, going to take a torch of the wall, before realising that through the only passage, the only way out of the dead end she was before, the torches were all alight. She shivered, ‘someone’s been here.’ She looked up, there was no ceiling, and she could see the darkness that must be surrounding the glass path. ‘I wonder if Inuyasha is still up there,’ she wondered aloud, stepping backwards, only to hear a nasty crunch. She flinched at the disgusting noise and turned slowly and hesitantly to see what she had stepped on.  
  
She had to pull her hands over her mouth to stop herself from screaming, there, lying beside her in the dimness, was a decomposing corpse. ‘Urgh! Looks like someone is having even worse luck than me,’ she muttered, kneeling down before it, and looking at it thoughtfully. ‘I wonder if it was you that lit the torches,’ she shook her head at the words, ‘no, because then who killed you afterwards? And, is it still here?’ She reached forward, and touched the skeleton, cringing slightly. ‘Still warm?’ as she uttered these words, she heard something sweep through the passage behind her, and she turned. There was nothing there. She turned back to the skeleton, and sighed. ‘Great Kagome, you’re hearing things, you’re paranoid, and you’re still talking to yourself.’ She shook her head, not believing how stupid she was being. She realised then that there were still two arrows left in the warrior’s quiver. She pulled them out away from the corpse, putting them in her own quiver, and stood up, turning to the passage behind her.  
  
She shuddered again, not liking the look of it at all, and sensing something lurking in the shadows. _But I can’t stay here_ she thought, _I have to keep moving, or Kazuya might find me…or maybe something worse than Kazuya._ She swallowed her fear, and stepped nervously forward into the passage. She walked faster as she distanced herself even more from the entrance, hearing harsh breathing behind her, along with soft, echoing footsteps, and she wanted to keep moving, and pretend that she hadn’t noticed it. Then she stopped, and noticed that she could recognize some of the carvings on the walls. She walked to the wall, forgetting the danger she was in, and ran her fingers over the engravings; they were no longer mysterious, unknown letters, but regulaut as the times turned into darker days,  
The spirits of the temple grew too strong,  
Overwhelming their conquerors as a particularly evil spirit was sealed to the glass path,  
The path trembled,  
The Temple quaked beneath the evil.  
The Sages knew the spirit was restless, as there was one left, who could resurrect them all,  
Plunging the world into darkness.  
The Sages sought the demonic child,  
And as they watched him bring himself into the world,  
Burning his mother inside out,  
They named him after the fire that burned in the heart of their temple,  
The fire that burned brightest blue in their black mirror,  
Kazuya…  
  
She widened her eyes, the walls bore Kazuya’s story, she traced the engravings with her fingers as she ran up the tunnel a little more, searching for where Sesshomaru had stopped his telling of the story, and she found it.  
  
 _Kazuya and the human he had come to feel human affections for, Yuna,  
Were brought to the Temple itself,  
Yuna’s spirit, although good, was deemed soiled by her lover, when she refused to denounce their love,  
She was damned as punishment of her loyalty to him, never to be resurrected nor reincarnated, just to remain, in the spirit world.  
The demon was forced to watch as Yuna was branded with the condemning mark of the Sages,  
And be burned alive.  
  
_ Kagome skipped more of the texts, finding a part that Sesshomaru had not mentioned at all.  
  
 _The Black Mirror,  
The heart of the Temple,  
The source of all it’s power,  
Glowed fiercely,  
The Sages knew he would use it to return.  
They sealed the Temple,  
Banishing it from the face of the earth,  
Sealing themselves behind an ancient door in a Temple nearby,  
Behind the door that their followers called Sanctuary.  
It is said that though Yuna cannot return,  
When the balance is broken,  
And the sky shatters and trembles with a piercing scream,  
She will return and haunt the night before the shattered morning sky,  
And guide those with hearts that were as pure as her own,  
Find their way…  
  
So that’s it, Yuna is supposed to guide those with hearts as pure as her own, help them find their way on the night before the broken sunrise,_ thought Kagome in her realisation, _the wolf that helped me find Inuyasha that night, the one that chased Kazuya from me…Kazuya didn’t attack the spirit, didn’t fight back because the wolf spirit was Yuna!_ Suddenly, Kagome heard the ragged, hoarse breathing grow even louder, and the soft footsteps thundered up the passage behind her. She turned, running as fast as she could through the dimness, taking one guess who her pursuer was - Kazuya. She turned suddenly, hearing the footsteps almost upon her, and all within a split second, armed an arrow to her bow, and shot into the darkness, she heard a gasps of pain, though it sounded to her ears inhuman, and she continued running. The firelight grew dim, as she saw faintly, at the end of the passageway, more light. Her heart lightened, and she sped up her pace, her feet barely touching the ground as she dashed towards the opening.  
  
Kagome ran out of the darkness of the forebodingly shadowy passage, and into what she assumed was what was at the centre of this maze of tunnels. The room was almost a perfect circle, and so many tunnels and passages led on from it she feared the others would never find her. The walls were the same stone blocks, but there were intricate carvings on the walls that Kagome only wished she could understand. She stepped further away from the shadows as a chill shot up her spine; she felt something’s presence behind her in the dark. As she walked further in, she saw bright fiery torches burning on the walls, and in the centre of the room, a dark pool sat still, steps leading into it from every side; Kagome shivered, she did not like the look of it. She turned to look at each of the tunnels in turn. She had not heard one sound from Inuyasha, nor seen anything of him, or the others for that matter. She felt uneasy being alone here, or at all with this thing after them, they did not even know what he was after.  
  
She hugged herself and rubbed her arms, trying to make the goose bumps she got from this place go away; she knew something was watching her, but whatever it was, she didn’t want it to know she was afraid. She tightened her grip on the bow in her hand, and reached sharply behind her for an arrow from the quiver. As she put the last of the arrows to the bow, she spun round to where she sensed the lurking spy. Kagome looked across the dark waters of the pool, she felt its gaze from this direction, but there was nothing there, _unless_ , she thought, _it’s there, just below the surface_. She took a deep breath, and acting against every instinct as a human, followed the few Miko instincts Kikyo unintentionally passed to her, and stepped towards the black pool.  
  
Kagome knew this was a stupid thing to do, but for some reason she was drawn to the pool, no matter how suspiciously calm the water looked, or the dark colour of it, or even the evil aura it gave off. She stopped on the steps of the pool, aiming her bow at the water’s surface, the arrow trembling as her whole body shook with fear. Suddenly all she could see before her eyes was Inuyasha’s face, and the faces of Shippo and the others. A cold, dreaded feeling rose up in her, she wanted more than anything to see her friends, she felt alone, as if she would never see them again. Then, a terrible thought came to her head, and she dropped the bow to the floor, shaking, as of trying to shake the thought from her mind.  
  
 _They’re not_ , she thought, ‘they’re not dead!’ Her voice echoed loudly through the room, and even shot through the tunnels and passages; she knew her voice would have awakened anything ancient, dark and evil in the temple, and this did not help her feel better. ‘Inu… Inuyasha?’ She felt so afraid, she knew Kazuya and even worse, were somewhere in the temple, and she was alone, and defenceless, she was in trouble.  
  
Suddenly, a voice she knew all too well came softly to her ears.  
‘Don’t worry Kagome; he shouldn’t come here while my power protects this place.’ Kagome stood up strong as she heard this voice, the voice of one she hated so much, of her soul’s former body, Kikyo. Kagome looked up above her, and floating above the water in mid air, was Kikyo herself, her long raven hair over her shoulders, dark hazel eyes like Kagome’s staring down at her, and the same blank, emotionless expression on her pale face.  
‘And what are you doing here?’ Kagome asked irritably, as she would rather walk back unprotected into the shadowy passage than face this woman.  
‘I watched Inuyasha and you come here with those others,’ her eyes almost exact to Kagome’s were it not for the coldness and emptiness in them, looked deep down into the eyes of her reincarnation. ‘’I entered, sensed where the true power was, and presumed wherever the power was Inuyasha would be headed for. I guessed correct, don’t you think I know him so well?’ Kagome looked away from Kikyo, knowing she was only taunting her, wanting her to make a move; it worked, Kagome was furious with her. She picked up the bow, put the arrow to it once more, but with a steady hand this time, and aimed it at Kikyo.  
  
A small grin spread over Kikyo’s face, and Kagome glared at her confidence, (though it was probably well placed). ‘You won’t kill me Kagome. You did not save my life to take it away, did you?’ Her voice was as cold as her gaze was, and just as confident.  
‘I saved you because of Inuyasha, because I know he would be sad if you died.’  
‘But how can you live with that Kagome? How can you care about him when he would once have shared a human life with me, and does not even ponder the prospect of one with you? And that's all he'll ever see.’ Kagome sneered. 'Dont you see how everytime he looks at you, touches you, kisses you, speaks to you, he is only seeing me? How can you love him even though he doesn't see you at all?' Kagome lowered her bow.  
‘You know the answer to that question, because I love him enough that…I don’t have to answer you.’ The priestess stared dangerously down at the girl, but Kagome was not in the least afraid. ‘But I am not afraid of you Kikyo, not how you want me to be.’  
‘How is it you are so sure about me Kagome? Did it ever occur to you that taking Inuyasha from you isn’t the thing that I could do to you, that would hurt the most?’  
‘That’s not true, because you and me, we love the same thing. That’s what gives you most power over me. Not strength, and not magic…’ Kagome felt sorrow more than anything else now, but that was not even allowed to settle in her, as something else happened…  
  
The temple shook violently as if an earthquake were happening beneath their feet, and the black waters of the pool rose up angrily, stopping just beneath Kikyo, who looked just as horrified as Kagome. But the water ignored Kikyo, and reared terrifyingly into a gigantic whirlpool before Kagome’s eyes. As Kagome stood, paralysed with fear at the monstrosity, a hand of water, though more solid than rock launched at her, wrapped itself around her ankles and pulled her into the water. It released her as she hit the icy pool, but the current in the once calm waters was so strong, she only was able to have enough strength to fight the waves once to reach the surface, and even this was brief. She threw her head above the water and screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice desperate with fear. ‘INUYASHA!’ Then as she screamed, the water dragged her under again, and she took a mouthful of the nasty substance. She was exhausted, and she could not fight anymore; her body felt heavy, and she sank down in the bottomless pool.  
  
Kikyo looked down at Kagome as she disappeared completely from her view, and still hating the girl with every breath she drew, leapt into the icy waters below to help her. Kikyo knew the loss Inuyasha would have in losing Kagome, would surpass by far the loss of herself, and even though she was not the same person she used to be, she loved Inuyasha, and did not want him to feel like that. She dove deeper and deeper, until as her pale hand groped in the darkness of the pool, it touched Kagome’s, and she grabbed the girl’s wrist roughly, dragging her upwards towards the surface. She surfaced with Kagome’s arm round her shoulder, the girl gasping for air as they did so. The current still raged on, and she could not get to the edge of the pool; they were trapped.  
  
Inuyasha dashed desperately through the dark passage, and into the room with the pool. He saw the whirlpool raging violently in the water, but saw then the two women trying to stay surfaced within its rage.  
‘Kagome!’ Inuyasha’s voice sounded loud above everything else, and Kagome looked up to see him, her heart lightening.  
‘Inuyasha?’ Her voice was weak, but her heart felt strong, it felt warm and light, and she was sure she was glowing inside; until she realised, she was glowing on the outside. A radiant pink light shone from her, and it shocked Kikyo, and flung her against the side of the pool. With nothing to keep her afloat, Kagome sunk back down again, and disappeared from the surface. Inuyasha ran to the water’s edge, fear building in him as Kagome disappeared.  
‘Kagome?’ Then the whirlpool raged around him, and dragged him inside its tornado like twist. Kikyo was caught inside it with him, and he looked up at her his eyes hurting from the spinning. ‘Kikyo, take my hand!’ But as the words sounded from his mouth, the whirlpool flung her from it, and against the far wall of the room, and Inuyasha dropped onto the stone steps, nearly unconscious as the tornado died. Kagome felt hard stone finally beneath her feet as the water calmed, and she kicked off hard from the ground, swimming swiftly to the surface, desperate for air.  
  
As Kagome surfaced she took in many deep breaths before her breathing stabilised; Inuyasha slid nearly passed out into the water down the steps, but Kagome did not see him. Suddenly, Inuyasha’s black hair turned silver once more along with his dog-ears, his hanyou claws returned and his deep brown eyes shimmered back to gold, giving him the small amount of energy he needed to swim to Kagome’s side, though that was all he got, he was exhausted. Kagome smiled as she saw him coming towards her, he tried to keep himself upright as he reached her, but he was too weak and wounded from the night’s many battles, and fell back in the water. Kagome leapt forward and pulled him back up, wrapping her arms tightly round him, determined not to let him go. Inuyasha coughed as she pulled him up, the black water foul to his mouth, and he breathed deeply in exhaustion, and rested his head unintentionally and naively on Kagome’s chest.  
  
Kagome’s face light up bright red, but she held him all the same, finding comfort in his embrace.  
‘Inuyasha? Are you okay?’ Her voice was shaking as she shivered from the cold, but Inuyasha did not reply. His eyes were closed and his breathing was light; Kagome almost thought that maybe he had gone to sleep. ‘Inuyasha, you’re going to have to help me get you out of the water.’ Inuyasha opened his eyes weakly and nodded slightly. She pulled his arm round her shoulder, supporting his weight as he crawled up the steps. Inuyasha threw himself onto the ground as he left the water, and he laid flat on his back; he felt so tired he felt he would never be able to move again. Kagome knelt at his side, looking down into his golden eyes dotingly, and worry shining within them.  
‘You’ll have to wait for me a moment Kagome,’ he said quietly, finding that just saying her name gave him comfort, ‘I think the water did something to me.’ Kagome smiled and nodded in reply, finding this place not so terrible with him beside her. He closed his eyes, trying to gather strength, and she rested her hand next to his cheek, stroking it softly, and in doing so moving the wet hair away from his face. She ran her fingers along the cut on his forehead from where he had landed on the stone steps; she leapt nearly out of her skin as Inuyasha grabbed her wrist. ‘Leave it; I’ll be okay as soon as I can stand up again. My head just fucking hurts…’ He let go of her wrist, and gazed contently up at her, as she slid her hand into his, which lay on his chest. A wave of emotion spread over them both, and Kagome leant down towards Inuyasha; they both closed their eyes as their faces drew closer to each other. Inuyasha lifted his head slightly to meet her; she felt his warm breath on her face as she moved in to kiss him. But her lips barely skimmed his when a violent coughing came from the corner, and they both shot up from their state, and remembered Kikyo as they saw her, lying in the corner, blood spurting from her mouth as she coughed.  
  
Kikyo was lying face down on the ground, lifting her head, and coughing blood over the ground. Kagome knelt beside Inuyasha, not looking at him, knowing what Inuyasha’s eyes would silently ask her if she met them, and knowing she could not refuse him if he asked. She felt kind of queasy after being nearly drowned, but had been so concerned with Inuyasha before she hadn’t realised until now. She held her hand over her face, feeling really dizzy and hot, but what was worse, she had a feeling that someone was watching her, from the depths of the pool, but dared not speak her fears aloud.  
  
  
TBC


	10. Empty Places

_Empty Places  
Ten  
  
  
_ Kikyo coughed even harder, though Kagome still refused to look into Inuyasha’s eyes. She felt upon the verge of tears again, she had felt so good just now, and that had all dried up so suddenly, Kikyo leeching the happiness out of every moment she had with Inuyasha, and making her time with him seem meaningless just because she was watching them. Eventually Kagome looked into the golden orbs that were Inuyasha’s eyes, and they were wide, and glassy.  
‘No,’ she muttered to him, and he frowned, having no idea what she was talking about. Kagome got up and walked away from him, standing a small distance from him, staring fixedly at the ancient runes carved in the stone, trying to prevent herself from shaking with anger.  
  
Inuyasha looked at her from the ground in bewilderment, and stumbled clumsily to his feet. Kagome heard his scuffling footsteps as he approached her, and she knew as he stopped that he would be staring at her if she turned to face him; though she would not do so.  
‘Kagome?’ he asked quietly, resting a hand on her shoulder, though she would still not face him. ‘What’s the matter?’ She was silent for a moment, though eventually answered.  
‘Why do you have to do this to me?’ she asked, so quiet that only Inuyasha could hear.  
‘Huh?’ Kagome shook with anger, knowing that he knew exactly why she was upset with him.  
‘Why do you have to make me feel like this? Why do you give me false hope that you want me at your side, only to let _her_ take it away again without even saying a word?’ Inuyasha’s eyes widened, now realising why she was angry.  
‘Is that what this is about?’ he asked, his voice becoming a little louder as he turned her to face him with his hands on her shoulders.  
‘Don’t sound so surprised when you say that,’ she demanded quietly, not meeting his eyes, looking to the ground sorrowfully. ‘I told you that if you did this to me…I told you if this happened I would be upset with you…’  
‘But I haven’t even done anything wench!’ he insisted.  
‘Haven’t you? You weren’t trying to save me a moment ago were you?’ Inuyasha looked at her in confusion. ‘That water may be black Inuyasha, but it doesn’t blind me; you tried to save her while I was drowning under your feet!’ she hissed at him, still quietly, making him slightly angry that she was angry with him for something he hadn’t done.  
‘I didn’t see you below me, and I came here to save you okay? You called me and I came, maybe that was a bad idea, maybe I shouldn’t have answered you at all!’  
‘Well maybe you shouldn’t have!’ she muttered, turning away from him once more, folding her arms over her chest crossly.  
  
Inuyasha’s temper had soared, he was furious with her, though he knew that maybe she was just a little bit right to be mad too, after all he had put her through with Kikyo; he thought that she even had more right to be mad than he did, as he needed to ask her something that wasn’t at all fair to ask of her. He dropped his temper, (something he rarely did), and walked in front of her, tilting her chin so she would look up at him.  
‘Hey, c’mon,’ he said softly, ‘I know you have every right to be mad at me, but…I need you right now…’ Kagome’s eyes widened, and she eventually nodded slightly.  
  
Kagome would not look up from the ground as she followed behind Inuyasha reluctantly towards Kikyo. The priestess looked up at them as they approached her, and Inuyasha knelt beside her, Kagome refusing to make eye contact with her. ‘Are you okay?’ Kikyo looked at him deeply for a moment, before coughing violently, the blood trickling from in between her fingers as she held her hand to her mouth. Kagome finally looked down at the two at her feet, only to catch a deeply concerned look in Inuyasha’s eyes, the kind of worry she‘d only ever seen him show to herself, and she turned away again, tears building in her eyes. ‘We need to get you out of here,’ said Inuyasha, surveying the blood that dripped to the floor. Kikyo looked up to Kagome for a second, only to see the building tears in the girls as she refused to look back at her, though the priestess felt no guilt or sadness for making Kagome cry, nor did she acknowledge the fact that the building tension between the girl and the hanyou was down to her presence.  
  
Inuyasha pulled Kikyo’s arm round his neck, and dragged her to her feet, supporting her, though swaying slightly, still a bit dizzy from being flung against the stone steps earlier. As he stood up firmly, he looked around, to find Kagome had left his side. He frowned slightly, as he saw her crouched beside the pool, looking pensively into its depths, He looked to Kikyo, who he leant against the wall so she could still stand, and walked to Kagome’s side. His eyes widened as he saw tiny ripples spread across the surface, where Kagome’s tears were falling onto it, disturbing the waters. ‘Ka…Kagome?’ he asked worriedly, crouching at her side. The tears fell even faster as she saw his reflection in the Black Mirror’s surface alongside her own. ‘Kagome, are you okay?’ She whimpered slightly, and tried to wipe her tears from her eyes, but they kept falling.  
‘Of course I’m not okay…’ Inuyasha felt emotion wash over him, almost completely overwhelming him, a mix between guilt and sorrow. ‘How can you…How can you ask this of me?’  
‘Kagome I-’  
‘No don’t, I’ve had enough of lies, just tell me, how do you expect me to do this for you?’ Inuyasha looked down at her reflection in the water, watching the tears splash into it, though not noticing the strange aura the pool began to give off, as Kagome’s tears fell into its depths.  
‘Because I’d do anything that you ask of me…’ he muttered.  
‘That’s…not fair, to say that, just because you know that then I will have to do what you ask.’  
‘Well what do you want me to do? You told me you understood, so tell me what you want me to do.’ Kagome did not reply. ‘Do you want me to leave her here?’ Kagome turned and looked into his eyes through the tears, and looked at him thoughtfully. She wanted to much to tell him to leave her here, to tell him what she really wanted him to do, but those glassy orbs looked deep into her eyes, past her tears, piercing through any thoughts of that kind, before she turned back to the water.  
‘All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, and I know that if I tell you what I want you to do, that you won’t be. So I’ll do what you ask of me…but it doesn’t make me hate you any less for making me do it.’ She got up sharply, and walked over to the wall, pulling the torch into her hand, and waiting for him to follow her.  
  
Inuyasha supported Kikyo along the dark, narrow passage, with Kagome leading them, the torch in her hand. They had been walking for a long while now, and Inuyasha even felt fully healed and strong once more, thanks to his rapidly healing hanyou body. Kagome had not shed another tear since she had spoke with him by the pool, but she had not spoken to him either, they had been walking in silence for hours, and she had not even once looked back at them. Inuyasha had now begun to be really worried about her, it was true, what he had asked of her was unreasonable considering, but she couldn’t really expect him to leave Kikyo there, could she? _Damn that girl, I never know what she is thinking. First she’s mad, then she’s not, then she’s crying, then she’s not talking to me, I have NO idea what she’s about!_ Thought Inuyasha, as he watched the girl from behind, wishing more than anything that she would speak to him, even if the words were angry and harsh, he just needed to know she wasn’t _that_ angry that she couldn’t even bare to speak to him. He hated the silent treatment from her above any other punishment; (perhaps with the exception of that dreaded word, _sit_ ).  
  
Eventually Inuyasha swallowed his pride, and made the first move in trying to get back onto speaking terms with her.  
‘Kagome,’ she stopped, but did not turn to face him. ‘I think…I think that maybe we need to stop for a while, to rest.’ Kagome stood before him for a moment, not moving or speaking.  
‘Sure, whatever,’ she muttered, in a plain, expressionless voice. And she set the torch in an empty hold along the wall, before sitting down, a short distance from where Inuyasha had set Kikyo down. _At least she spoke to me, though it wasn’t exactly with feeling, it didn’t even sound angry,_ Inuyasha thought as he set Kikyo down, and the priestess closed her eyes almost immediately, being so tired. Inuyasha looked up to Kagome, and saw her gazing into the blackness of the tunnel ahead, sitting on the rocky ground, her head resting on her hands. He moved hesitantly beside her, and sat down, trying to get her to look at him, though once again, she would not. ‘Kagome?’ she didn’t answer. ‘Kagome?’  
‘What?’ she snapped, turning to face him. Inuyasha was taken aback slightly by the sudden harshness of her voice, though he continued the attempts at speaking to her.  
‘For god’s sake, I can’t take the silent treatment, yell at me, hit me, insult me, even _sit_ me, but just say _something_!’ Kagome surveyed him for a moment through her hazel orbs, before opening her mouth to reply.  
‘You want me to say something? Okay I will.’ Inuyasha watched her, waiting for her to continue. ‘I hate you. After all this time you still won’t make decisions whilst caring about my feelings, you’re completely selfish!’  
‘What?’  
‘All the crappy stuff I have to put up with from you, and I still do what you ask, I do it and I am still here for you, I never let you down or leave your side when you need me. Yet ask you to consider me when you decide something and it’s completely beyond you! Do you even care about me at all?’ Once again Inuyasha was shocked at her outburst.  
‘Is that really your opinion of me? Do you really think that little of me? I _always_ think about you before I make decisions, all I ever do is bloody protect you and think about what you want!’  
‘Like you did just now?’  
‘I couldn’t leave her there to die Kagome-’  
‘She shot you through your chest with an arrow and left you to die! She took fifty years of your life away!’  
‘That’s not fair, that wasn’t her it was Naraku’s tricking us that-’  
'-and afterwards? When she tried to take you to hell with her? When she tried to kill _all_ of us? Does that not mean anything to you?'  
'Kagome,it's more complicated than that-'  
‘Well fine, stay with Kikyo, get _her_ out of here,’ she said leaping to her feet, ‘I would rather wander the darkness forever, or have Kazuya catch me than stay here and watch you with _her_!’ She flounced off in the darkness, disappearing from Inuyasha’s view almost immediately.  
  
She heard him scramble to his feet, but was determined he would not stop her, and gave him what he had asked for earlier. ‘SIT!’ she shouted. The beaded-necklace around Inuyasha’s neck glowed and he was crushed to the ground, as if some invisible hand had smashed him into the stone below. Before the spell had worn off, she ran up the passage, getting as far away from him as possible, tears streaming down her face.  
  
Suddenly she stopped, and looked down the tunnel to her left. She heard something, running footsteps, and then they stopped. She looked into the darkness, trying to decipher amongst the blackness what it was, then she realised what she was staring at. Kagome flung herself into Sango’s arms, crying even harder, and whimpering as the youkai exterminator dropped with her to her knees.  
‘Kagome-chan? What’s wrong? Did Kazuya get to you? Did-’  
‘No it’s - it’s Inuyasha,’ she cried, her tears pouring down her face.  
‘What did he do?’ asked Miroku, kneeling at their side, Rin, Shippo and Kilala watching sorrowfully, having only just stopped mid leap, as they saw Kagome was crying.  
‘It’s not - it’s probably just me overreacting anyway I-’  
‘Tell us what happened, from when we last saw you,’ insisted Sango firmly, pulling the girl to her feet. ‘Tell us everything…’  


***

Inuyasha nearly jumped out of his skin when something leapt out of the shadows, and collided with his face. It took him a moment to realise that it was Sango, and it was her fist that had smacked him full force across the jaw.  
‘Sango you crazy wench! What the hell was that for?’ he yelled. She smacked him again.  
‘You insensitive - stupid - selfish - cowardly - asshole!’ she yelled, smacking him with each insult.  
‘What the hell are you talking about?’ he shouted, crawling away from her and scrambling desperately to his feet.  
‘Kagome! What the hell do you think you’re doing to her?’ Inuyasha hung his head low, not having a real reply, feeling sincerely bad for what he had done, and not caring if Kikyo, who was now awake and watching what was happening carefully, knew of his guilt, as she stared confusedly at the raging Sango.  
‘I screwed up; I’ve been a real bastard to her…’  
‘Yeah well don’t just say that to stop me smacking you, because you really _did_ screw up, and you really _are_ a bastard.’  
‘I know that,’ he replied, pulling Kikyo to her feet, though he did not even attempt to help her walk now, and she stood up on her own feet. She could now walk on her own, now being rested, and she walked behind them as Inuyasha trudged along beside Sango. ‘Is she okay?’ asked Inuyasha, blushing as he felt Kikyo watching and listening carefully.  
‘Kagome? She’s okay, I left her with Miroku and the others, she told me not to come and get you but I…’  
‘Wanted to smack me about?’  
‘Yeah,’ she replied happily, as they approached the others, standing in the dark.  
‘What happened to you guys when we fell through?’ he asked, not raising his eyes from the ground as he saw Kagome leaning against the wall miserably.  
‘That water stuff attacked us, it nearly killed us all. Then we got attacked by this spider demon, then right after we all heard you and Kagome shouting at each other, and came running. And that’s where we-’  
‘Found Kagome?’ Sango nodded at him, studying his petulant expression carefully; happy he was feeling guilty about being horrible to Kagome _again_. _Serves him right,_ she thought, looking up to Miroku as they stopped beside the others, Kikyo standing back from them.  
  
Inuyasha looked up to see Kagome, though she realised he was gazing at her, and did not look up; just wiping the remaining tears from her eyes, not wanting to give him nor Kikyo the satisfaction of knowing they made her cry.  
‘Well all I can say is we’ve all seen enough of this place to know that Kazuya’s weakness is not here, and that-’ Miroku was interrupted as Kagome shot up suddenly, making them all jump.  
‘Oh, I found something,’ she said, ‘when I was trying to find Inuyasha I…I read the runes on the wall-’  
‘Those runes were written before the dawn of time, no one of this earth can read them,’ interrupted Kikyo, looking at Kagome with superiority and coldness. The majority of the company glared at the priestess hatefully.  
‘Well,’ replied Miroku, watching the woman carefully, ‘nice for your contribution, but you’re a bit out of place here, so why don’t we here what _Kagome_ has to say.’ Kikyo sneered slightly, and looked away.  
‘Yeah, umm…well the runes were suddenly in regular Romanji, and I read them. It told Kazuya’s story. It basically said what Sesshomaru told us, but I found some other stuff out.’ They all watched her, waiting for her to continue; even Kikyo was looking at the girl from the corner of her eye. ‘That black pool that Inuyasha and I were at earlier, the Sages used it as a doorway to the glass path, and hell, to seal damned souls, and that was where Kazuya was sealed. But he was too strong for the pool, and they had to banish the temple to ensure he stayed damned. And they were sealed somewhere called _The Door to Sanctuary,_ or something like that. But also, when I went to look for Inuyasha in the woods before the broken sunrise, I never told you but, Kazuya tried to get me, and this glowing spirit chased it away, and showed me to Inuyasha. And I read that if Kazuya were ever to return, because of his extreme evil, they needed a force of pure good to outbalance it, and that good is Yuna.’  
‘Yuna?’ asked Inuyasha.  
‘Kazuya’s lover, remember she was wrongfully damned? But she was damned so that if Kazuya was ever resurrected, she could return on the night before the broken sunrise and help pure souls like herself.’  
‘Like you…’ muttered Shippo, hopping onto her shoulder. Sango thought she saw Kikyo sneer once more, but she ignored it.  
  
Inuyasha was confused, it for the most part made sense, but there were some fragmented pieces, that didn’t fit.  
‘Then Kazuya didn’t attack the spirit because he loves her?’  
‘But evil can’t love,’ said Shippo, looking to the hanyou oddly.  
‘Of course it can, evil is not hollow, it is three-dimensional, and complicated, exactly as love is,’ said Inuyasha, glaring at the kitsune slightly. Kagome stared at him, what he had said, it wasn’t the type of thing she would expect from him; in fact she had never heard him say anything like that before.  
‘So Sesshomaru-sama was right?’ suggested Rin, tugging at Kagome’s skirt.  
‘Yes,’ replied Miroku, ‘We did find Kazuya’s weakness, it’s Yuna.’  
  
With Miroku’s words, the temple’s walls, ceilings and ground shook violently, and the company struggled to stand. Sango and Miroku fell backwards against the wall, Sango pulling Rin against it to keep her standing. Kagome leant back against the wall, holding Kilala as Shippo quivered on her shoulder, and Inuyasha and Kikyo jumped out of the way as part of the ceiling collapsed.  
‘I think you pissed it off Miroku!’ shouted Shippo.  
‘Let’s get out of here!’ the others agreed with Inuyasha, and started to sidle along the wall, avoiding the falling rock. As Kagome edged along the wall, Inuyasha’s hand landed over her own, and they stopped for a moment, looking at each other, before pulling away sharply, and looking away from each other. As Inuyasha turned his head away from her, he looked down the passage behind them, and didn’t like what he saw.  
‘Umm, Sango?’ muttered Inuyasha.  
‘What?’ asked Sango hot-temperedly, grumpy from her tiredness.  
‘This won’t be good enough.’  
‘What the hell do you mean?’  
‘Well…we have company,’ he replied, and they all looked down the passage. A pair of narrowed, crimson eyes glared at them in the darkness, a ghostly, shadowy figure attached to them. ‘Run!’ whispered Inuyasha. They pulled away from the wall, and dashed up the passage, following its straight direction, praying it would lead to a way out.  
  
As he ran along in front of Kagome, Inuyasha could hear Kazuya’s footsteps thundering up the tunnel behind them. ‘Kagome hurry it up!’ he shouted back to her, as she began to fall behind.  
‘I’m trying,’ she called back. Suddenly, Kazuya launched himself forward. A whip like surge of energy slashed across Kagome’s back, and she dropped to the floor. Shippo flew off her shoulder, and crashed into Rin along with Kilala. Rin picked up the cat demon, and the others turned to see Kagome crumpled up on the ground. Inuyasha ran to her side, and turned to look at them.  
‘Get going, try to find the entrance, we’ll catch up!’ Kagome was surprised to see he still stayed to help her, even though she had been so horrible to him. ‘Get up for god’s sake!’ he ordered her, pulling her to her feet. As he dragged her up, the temple shook even harder, and she fell forward, collapsing into his arms helplessly. ‘Stand up!’ he shouted, looking down at her. She buried her face in his chest, and now he saw why she was so afraid. The same, billowing, smothering fog was building about them, and it was rising fast. ‘It’s just fog, its okay you-’  
‘No…’ she whispered to him, her eyes closed in fear. ‘It’s…something else…’  
  
Inuyasha nearly jumped out of his kin as Kazuya landed only feet away from him, steadily approaching him, a wide, malicious smile across his pallid face.  
‘So this is the _Great Inuyasha_ ,’ he mocked in the same, deep, hollow voice. ‘You don’t look all that to me.’ Inuyasha eyed him warily, as he stepped even closer. ‘However…’ He eyed the trembling girl that clung to Inuyasha evilly, and continued to step slowly forward. Inuyasha followed his eyes’ path, and pulled his arms round Kagome as he realised what the creature was looking at.  
‘Get the hell away,’ he warned quietly, but the demon paid him no attention. Inuyasha pulled Tetsusaiga from its sheath, and held it out before him, and Kazuya stopped.  
‘Aaaah,’ the demon muttered calmly in realisation. ‘Inuyasha; Inu-no-Taisho and Izayoi’s son.’ Inuyasha looked at the demon oddly.  
‘How many Inuyasha's do you think there are?’ Kazuya grinned slightly.  
‘Tell me boy, how is your brother? I have not seen him for such an age.’ Inuyasha widened his eyes. ‘Though even from the other side I could sense your father’s death, and your mother’s.’ Inuyasha glared at him. ‘So many foolish, dead creatures, would you like to join them?’  
‘Not today thanks,’ replied the hanyou, and he waved Tetsusaiga forward sharply, slicing the demon across the chest. Kazuya looked down as his blood dripped from the wound uncontrollably, only to watch Inuyasha’s eyes widen in terror, as the wound healed up within the next moment.  
  
Inuyasha pulled Kagome closer to him, and raised Tetsusaiga once more. ‘Are you ready?’ he asked almost silently in her ear, and she nodded slightly, still keeping her eyes shut as the fog rolled up to her neck. The sword rang as it transformed, but instead of ripping at the demon before it, it swung fiercely into the stone walls surrounding. The stone and rock collapsed on top of Kazuya, and Inuyasha pulled Kagome even closer, and sped up the tunnel, not even touching the ground as he flew through the air, knowing that his small avalanche would not keep the demon back for long.  
  
He skidded to a halt, setting Kagome down on her feet, only narrowly missing colliding with Miroku. ‘Why have you stopped? Kazuya is right behind us!’ Then he looked forward, and he saw what was wrong. They were at a dead end, only a flat wall of ancient runes before them. ‘Oh,’ he said, walking towards it. ‘So uh…how do we get through?’ Sango rolled her eyes.  
‘Well I suggested breaking through but, _priestess_ here decided that would not work, and otherwise we’re all out of ideas.’  
‘Incorrect,’ disagreed Kikyo, stepping forward from the rear of the group. ‘I said your idea would not work, I never said I didn’t have one.’ Kagome walked forward, hysteria building as the fear rose up in her also.  
‘Kazuya is right behind us! So if you have an idea spill it, otherwise sit back and shut the hell up!’ Everyone looked slightly startled by this outburst, but Kikyo just looked just as coldly at her as ever.  
‘Fine,’ she muttered, snatching Kagome’s hand roughly by the wrist.  
‘Hey, what the hell are you-’ Kikyo looked at the wounds on Kagome’s fingertips from earlier, where she had been digging through the rubble, (they were particularly nasty now, and had even begun bleeding again). Inuyasha only just noticed the wounds, and was surprised he hadn’t noticed them earlier. Kikyo ran her fingers over the wounds harshly, and Kagome winced. Kikyo smeared the blood over the runes on the wall, and stood back with the others.  
‘What the hell was that about?’ asked Miroku, as Sango walked to Kagome’s side, examining the cuts on her fingers, that had begun to bleed more so than before.  
‘If you understood anything about anything monk, you would know what the key to this door is.’  
‘Which is?’ asked Miroku impatiently.  
‘This is a temple from the old age, times where sacrifice and blood was everything to anyone.’  
‘So it’s blood?’ asked Shippo, hopping onto Inuyasha’s shoulder. Kikyo nodded.  
‘This temple was designed and made by the past’s most petty and cruel beings, of course it’s blood…’ With this, the blank wall ahead trembled slightly.  
  
A blinding light filled the passage, and the company had to close their eyes because of the radiance of it. When they opened their eyes, the wall was not as it was before. A wide, stone archway stood before them, sunlight pouring through it. Furious, heavy footsteps sounded behind them, and they leapt forward, running through the archway. Stone steps led down from the temple, though nowhere near as steep as the previous steps, and nowhere near as far up. Inuyasha jumped to the ground, the others following close behind, him leading them as far from the temple as possible. Though they had no cause to do so; Kazuya just watched from the shadows of the doorway, watching as they continued to flee from him.  
‘I think that things could get a little more, interesting…Nikaido?’ Nikaido nodded slyly as he slinked out of the shadows and to his master’s side, waving his hand forward, urging forth lines upon lines of hungry, horrifying, skeletal creatures that rushed silently after Inuyasha and the others.  
  
The others puffed and panted as they stumbled to a stop, Inuyasha pausing ahead, an annoyed look on his face.  
‘For god’s sake hurry up!’ he shouted, though they did not reply, all just sitting down on the grass and leaning against the surrounding trees. The forest about them was alive, and beautiful, the leaves and grass were a rich green, and the sun shone warmly down upon them, yet still they were all exhausted.  
‘Here’s an idea,’ panted Miroku, ‘ _you_ go on ahead, and we’ll umm…follow when we’ve recovered.’ The monk collapsed backwards into the grass, and closed his eyes. Inuyasha watched them all; even Kikyo was tired, and rested down against a tree away from the others. Inuyasha eventually gave in, seeing that they were not going to shift no matter what he said, and he sat down grumpily. Kagome and Sango shared a triumphant smile at Inuyasha’s defeat, before Inuyasha looked at Kagome, and they broke eye contact to avoid giggling.  
  
Inuyasha gazed unintentionally at Kagome, Miroku had been right; Yuna was Kazuya’s weak spot, that’s why he was so furious at their discovery. He always knew that everything had a weakness, every enemy, every demon, had a weak point at which they could aim, Kazuya’s was just not physical, it was a mental weakness. _Apart from the fact that he’s absolutely crackers,_ thought Inuyasha, not realising he was still gazing at Kagome. _So that means that I have a weakness, so what is it? Physical or mental?_ He snapped back into reality as he noticed Kagome was struggling to tend to her wounded fingertips. Inuyasha huffed, and walked over to her, squatting down beside her, and holding out his hand. She looked at him oddly for a moment, before realising what he was doing. He took her hand roughly, and scooped up some of the disgusting, gooey, sterilization substance that was in the first aid kit in Kagome’s backpack, (that Sango had been carrying).  
  
Kagome winced as the pads of his fingers smoothed the substance over her fingertips, and he looked at her for a moment, before continuing, though a little softer than before.  
‘Are you still pissed at me?’ he asked quietly, not raising his eyes to her. Kagome watched him for a moment before replying.  
‘I don’t suppose so.’  
‘Really?’ he asked, his ears twitching. She winced.  
‘Well I will be if you don’t watch what you’re doing!’ she hissed, as his claw grazed one of the wounds, ‘why? Do you want me to be angry with you?’  
‘No,’ he replied quickly, making her barely able to suppress a smile. Seeing a dodgy expression on the girl’s face, Inuyasha’s good, mood evaporated as quickly as it had come. ‘But? There’s a _but_ isn’t there?’ she looked at him yet again in silence for a second, before replying to his question.  
‘I want you to tell me what you think I was angry about.’  
‘Is that it?’ asked Inuyasha, expecting the exception to be far worse. Kagome nodded. ‘Well I guess…you were angry because I tried to save Kikyo, when you needed me to save you as well, only I never saw that you needed me.’ Kagome continued to watch him as he replied, and that he guessed was her way of telling him that wasn’t the whole answer. ‘I guess you were angry because…I asked you to help Kikyo, and I wanted to help Kikyo and you didn’t.’ Inuyasha finished, other than that he had no idea why she would be angry.  
  
‘I was angry because of those reasons, and I was angry because you wanted to help her even after everything she has put us through; I was angry because you didn’t consider me when you made the decision to help her.’ Inuyasha was starting to be angry now; she was being a bit unreasonable.  
‘It isn’t something that is negotiable; someone’s life isn’t something I can consider you on. Whether or not you like it she is a person, and she needed our help!’ Kagome was slightly shocked by his outburst.  
‘I never said that. I said that you didn’t consider me, or even ask me if I was okay with it!’ she argued. 'And you...you never look at me without looking for her!'  
‘Feh! Whatever…’  
‘No not _whatever_ , I promised I’d always stay by your side, I told you that I’d accept-’  
‘Well thank you, so very much, you give me permission to make my own choices!’ he snapped at her mockingly. ‘I never asked you to stay by my side!’  
‘You did! You told me that you were glad I was with you, and that you-’  
‘Well maybe I changed my mind!’ Kagome’s eyes turned glassy, as the others turned to see what they were arguing about now.  
  
‘It’s not that you’re upset about is it Inuyasha?’ asked Kagome quietly, tears building in her eyes. Inuyasha looked at her, getting to his feet as she did so. ‘You’re upset because it was _her_ that I asked you to consider me about.’  
‘No I’m not, I’m angry because you think I need to consider you on everything!’  
‘Not everything, just everything that involves me.’  
‘How does this involve you!’ he shouted, making even Kikyo look over to them. ‘This is none of your damn business!’ Kagome looked at him, the first of the tears spilling from her eyes, (and not the last).  
‘It is my business…’ she whispered to him, ‘because I…I lo-’  
‘Whatever you have to say, this doesn’t make this your business, so shut up about it!’ Kagome suddenly realised something about why he was being so defensive about Kikyo, and the same, cold, empty feeling returned from earlier. Inuyasha and the others looked at her, though the others with more sympathy than Inuyasha and Kikyo, as they knew what Kagome had been about to tell him, and knew what she had realized from what Inuyasha had just said.  
‘I can’t believe it,’ she gasped with tears falling down her cheeks, ‘you really do still love her, don’t you?’ Inuyasha’s eyes widened at her words, and he watched as Kagome turned, and ran into the trees.  
  
  
TBC


	11. Epiphany of My Heart

  
_Epiphany of my Heart  
Eleven  
  
  
_ Inuyasha squatted down on the ground, trying not to look as if making Kagome cry had upset him. He turned, to see that Miroku, Sango, Rin, Shippo and Kilala were all throwing him filthy looks of anger.  
‘What?’ he asked, annoyed.  
‘I hope you don’t think we’re going to let you leave her to run off like that?’ asked Miroku, holding Sango back from pouncing on the unsuspecting hanyou.  
‘Feh, whatever, you go after her if you want,’ Inuyasha muttered, secretly hoping that they would make him go after her. He turned back to them, to see them still staring at him.  
‘Stop being such an idiot Inuyasha,’ scolded Shippo. They all turned to face Kikyo as she huffed slightly, her eyes still closed, but her lips in a strange smile. ‘And what are you smiling for?’ Kikyo laughed slightly.  
‘Kagome’s a big girl, whiny, pathetic, but she can look after herself. If Inuyasha doesn’t want to go _babysitting_ then maybe she should just go home - where she belongs…’  
  
Inuyasha said nothing, just watched her carefully as she spoke. Sango leapt to her feet, fuming, Miroku standing up at her side, ready to stop her lunging at Kikyo, as he knew she was close to doing.  
‘You fucking bitching whore!’ screamed Sango, making Kikyo jump slightly at the suddenness. ‘This is none of your business! You’re out of place here, so why don’t _you_ go home!’ Kikyo stood up slowly, smiling coldly.  
‘Kagome needs to realise that she doesn’t belong here-’  
‘SHUT UP! SHUT UP!’ screamed Sango, storming towards the priestess, ‘One more word, about Kagome, about _anything_ , and I will fucking SLAP you!’ Kikyo’s smile did not falter.  
‘How nice, big sister now are we? Making up with Kagome what you couldn’t do for Koha-’  
  
Sango pulled out her sword, resting the point against her throat.  
‘Say it…’ she said in a dangerously low voice, ‘say my brother’s name, and I’ll cut your throat, make no mistake about it…’ after a moment or two, Sango realised Kikyo had finished, and she put the sword away. ‘Go after her Inuyasha,’ ordered Sango in a falsely calm voice. Inuyasha’s ears pricked.  
‘But I-’  
‘Inuyasha get your-’ her voice was drowned out as a deafening scream filled the forest, and Inuyasha shot to his feet, drawing Tetsusaiga.  
‘Kagome…’ he muttered, dashing into the trees in the direction of the scream.  
  
Inuyasha could smell Kagome’s fear in her scent, and he ran faster, only to skid to a halt as he found Kagome. With no arrows in her quiver, Kagome threw it at the warriors that attacked her, along with the bow as they still chased after her. She stood in the middle of a wide attack of creatures, only they weren’t creatures at all, they were men. Regular village men, Inuyasha wondered if Kagome would really appreciate her rescue if he killed humans in the process, until one grabbed her arm, only to receive a full force smack across the jaw from Kagome. Inuyasha leapt forward to help her, only to get whacked across the back with a staff. He turned his head as he hit the floor, rolling out of the way, as the man brought his staff down hard again, narrowly missing Inuyasha’s head.  
‘Hey, watch what the hell your doing with that will ya?’ shouted Inuyasha, leaping backwards to avoid another attempt to hit him. ‘Look I don’t wanna hurt you but-’ As the man leapt forward to smack him again, Inuyasha grabbed his wrist, snapping it nastily, so that he dropped the staff, ‘whatever, forget this.’  
  
Inuyasha swept through the trees, not killing the men, just doing an awful lot of damage, (and having a little _too_ much fun whilst doing it). Inuyasha leapt into the sky after knocking out several men, and wounding even more. His eyes widened in fear; Kagome was gone. ‘Dammit!’ cursed Inuyasha, surveying the grounds, and meeting Sango’s eyes as she and the others looked up at him.  
‘Where’s Kagome?’ called Miroku. Inuyasha looked about a bit more, and then spotted her.  
‘That way, they’re catching up to her!’ replied Inuyasha, gesturing with his arm in front of him.  
‘Youkai?’ called Sango.  
‘Human.’ They looked at him worriedly, as they all (besides Kikyo) leapt onto a transformed Kilala’s back, and charged through the trees. Inuyasha was ahead of the others, he dived down, swooping towards the crowd. Kagome was in their centre, them leaping at her, the girl screaming and trying to fight her way free.  
  
Inuyasha swooped just as a man raised a staff to smack her with, and grabbed the end of the stick, pulling the man up into the air by it, before letting him drop to the ground. ‘Didn’t your mother tell you, never raise your hand to a woman?’  
‘Inuyasha!’ shouted Kagome, and Inuyasha turned, just in time to see a man smack Kagome’s face, and watch her disappear beneath the crowd. Seething with anger, Inuyasha dived down, slashing at the men with his claws, making them leap back as they watched the first few men catch his wrath. Kagome was conscious, but a little dazed, and her mouth was bleeding. Inuyasha grabbed her wrist, pulling her up into his arms, and leaping into the sky once more.  
  
Inuyasha wiped the blood from her mouth with his fingers, the ones that weren’t stained with the blood of the men. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked. She nodded slightly, pulling her arms tightly round his neck as he swerved out of the way of an arrow, nearly dropping her. ‘Heh, that was close, a bit too-’ he cut off, as an arrow struck his shoulder, and they plummeted downwards. Inuyasha smashed into the ground, Kagome on top of him, taking the blow instead of her. He was disorientated, and dizzy. All he knew was that he felt Kagome being tugged away from him, though he could not in any way fight it, he for that moment could not move any limb in his body. It was Kagome’s screaming that brought him back to reality, and he sat up as he heard her, but still unable to walk, or even call out to her, only able to watch as she was carried away, further an further out of his reach.  
  
Hirakoitsu spun through the trees, as did a storm of fire, but Sango, Kilala and the others were too late, Kagome was already out of Inuyasha’s sight. Miroku dropped to the hanyou’s side.  
‘We’ll get her back - are you okay?’ Inuyasha didn’t reply, he just sneered, snatching the arrow in his shoulder, pushing it all the way through, and snapping the head off, before pulling it sharply from his shoulder. He got steadily to his feet, and gazed heatedly in the direction Kagome had been carried off in. The others watched Inuyasha’s furious and determined expression, as Kikyo arrived behind them, blood pouring down her forehead again, and she looked beaten and fatally wounded. She had been attacked by the men as well when they had left her behind. Inuyasha ignored his companions and Kikyo, sniffing the air slightly, picking up Kagome’s scent, and latching onto it, making sure he would not loose it, before charging forward, and walking away from the others without so much as a word.  
  
Inuyasha stormed forward through the trees, the others struggling to keep up; his temper had soared far above normal, and he was ready to take it out on the cause of all this trouble.  
‘Inuyasha!’ Sango called out as she struggled to push aside an overhanging branch from her path, causing it to swing back and smack Miroku across the jaw. Sango ignored Miroku’s over exaggerated whimpering, and continued to grow more and more angry at Inuyasha’s immature behaviour. ‘Inuyasha, stop a minute!’ Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks, his fists at his sides, shaking with anger. ‘This is pretty much as bad as it can get, but we’ll fix it, like we always do, OKAY?’ Inuyasha did not reply, ‘but storming off alone will only get you killed, so stop being such a self-pitying idiot!’ Her voice was firm, as if she were a mother scolding a small boy. ‘Kagome needs more than that right now.’  
  
‘Kagome…’ he repeated, trying to keep his voice even. ‘Kagome is gone, and it’s all my fault!’ He spun round in anger, and lashed out at a tree with his claws, slicing it horizontally in half, causing it to crash to the ground.  
‘Do you _want_ every demon tracking us to find us?’ asked Miroku as he finally caught up with his companions, Shippo on his shoulder holding an unconscious Kilala, and supporting a limp and defeated Kikyo on his other side, while Rin was walking nervously beside him. Sango looked to Kikyo then, who seemed to be unconscious, depending on Miroku for support, and Sango hated her more then than ever. After everything Kikyo had done to Kagome, to Inuyasha, to all of them, whether it was her fault or not, she did not have the right to ask for their help, nor accept it. Sango wished they could have just left her, and wondered how Inuyasha could have asked Kagome, after everything, to help him get that…bitch to safety. Her thoughts that were brought back to their situation as Inuyasha started shouting at Miroku again.  
‘I don’t care, you fucking idiot I don’t care!’ He turned to walk off again but Sango grabbed his arm and stopped him.  
‘I care about Kagome too, and if I loose her because our best hope of getting her back has got himself killed… I’ll resurrect your sorry ass just so I can kill you myself!’  
‘Get off me!’ Inuyasha pulled his arm out of her grip, but didn’t get far before being stopped by a slap round the face from Sango. He glared furiously at her, taking every inch of his strength not to smack her back, but thought better of it. Miroku tried to hold back a smile, finding it overwhelmingly funny seeing someone beside himself being slapped by Sango.  
  
Inuyasha stood still before the demona slayer, staring fixedly at the ground, his hair falling into his golden eyes, his cheek red where Sango had slapped him.  
‘Well once again the woman has to be the mature, sensible one here,’ she said, realising she was being a bit insensitive, but now wasn’t the time for Inuyasha to embrace his sensitive side. ‘Inuyasha, can you smell or sense Kagome at all?’ Inuyasha looked as if he might not reply, but he eventually shook his head, still gazing in self-wretchedness at the ground, the men must have been using some sort of magic to cover their tracks, as it had taken him only moments to loose their scent trail.  
  
Miroku shifted Kikyo’s weight slightly, his arm tired from holding her for so long, and he was beginning to be annoyed that he was being ignored by his friends, and wondered partially if throwing Kikyo at Inuyasha would get him some attention, as well as the feeling back in his arm. Sango felt sorry for Inuyasha, and realised that she had been a bit harsh earlier, knowing that he can’t feel good about what had happened, because he believed it was all his fault, but Sango felt worse for him, because she felt that slightly, it was his fault. He had brought Kikyo with them, and if he hadn’t brought her, Kagome would never have been upset, and she never would have separated from them, and would not have been able to be captured; she knew her friend was not completely guilt free, and that it was his stupid continuing infatuation with Kikyo that had allowed Kagome to be taken. She stepped forward, but as she approached Inuyasha something leapt before her and sliced her across the stomach. The gash the creature’s jagged blade had caused, though a shallow wound stung viciously, and she winced slightly. Many more terrifying, armoured, corpse-like creatures, just like Sango’s attacker leapt out of the shadows of the trees and ambushed Inuyasha and the others.  
  
One of the creatures’ iron boots smacked into Miroku’s temple, and he dropped Kikyo, and collapsed to the floor, his eyes closed and blood pouring down the side of his face. Shippo jumped off his shoulder before he hit the ground, still clutching the exhausted, nearly unconscious Kilala. He prodded Miroku, his eyes turning glassy when the monk did not respond.  
‘Miroku…Miroku?’ Despair filled up inside the tiny fox demon, as Miroku failed to awaken. Rin ran away from the battle slightly, taking shelter behind a tree, only to scream and duck as a scythe shot through the bark of the tree beside her head. She skidded to the floor, as the creature pounced on top of her, rousing another sharp scream from her.  
‘Miss Sango!’ she shouted, though the words stuck in her throat, as the bloodstained blade descended upon her. She pulled her arm over her head, readying herself for the blow.  
  
Meanwhile Sango and Inuyasha had leapt in to battle their attackers, and had not noticed the plight of Miroku and Kikyo. Sango was double-teamed by the creatures, she flung her Hirakoitsu at them but one of the foul monsters caught it, giving her an evil snigger.  
‘There are too many Inuyasha!’ called Sango desperately, then spun round when he did not reply, and realised he had left her side. They had been back-to-back just moments before, but now they were separated by hordes of savage, shrieking demons. ‘Inuyasha get your butt over here and help me out!’ Then Sango’s voice dropped into a terrified whisper as she saw what was happening, ‘Inuyasha?’ her eyes widened with fear; _no, not now,_ she thought, _no please not now.  
  
_ Shippo did not see what Sango could, lurking behind the eyes of their companion. Shippo tugged helplessly at Inuyasha’s kimono, his eyes teary. ‘Shippo, get away from him!’ Shippo turned to look at Sango in confusion, only to look back up into the eyes of Inuyasha, and backed away hastily, his eyes wide. The creatures closed in around Inuyasha, wide, malicious grins on their demonic faces. _I don’t have time for this,_ thought Inuyasha, _Kagome is in trouble, she needs me._ Suddenly, anger erupted from inside him and completely overflowed the hanyou. He felt energy run through his veins bringing them closer to the surface of his skin as the power pulsed through him, right down to his clawed fingertips. The power surged through him, as Shippo cowered away from him on Sango’s warning. His emotions had powered him to such a dangerous extent, that all Sango and Shippo could do was watch as their friend slowly lost control of his body, as the demon took over.  
‘I don’t have time for this! I WON’T LET HER DOWN ANYMORE!’ Purple marks suddenly grew across the sides of his face, his eyes turned blood red, and his claws grew into talons; demon Inuyasha was back.  
  
With one swipe of Inuyasha’s claws, the creatures surrounding him flew backwards, to avoid being shredded. ‘Foolish bastards, now look what you’ve done,’ his voice was foreign to his throat, the words were his own, but the voice scratched at his throat with an unfamiliar malice. The creatures leapt upon him all at once, and Sango skidded forward on her side, snatching up Shippo and Kilala from amongst the charging demons and into her arms. ‘Are you okay?’ she asked Shippo, who nodded, still clinging to Kilala, and leapt onto Sango’s shoulder.  
‘I’m fine, but…Miroku got hit,’ he informed her, Sango then looked over to the unconscious monk, lying not far from them. Sango crawled to his side, and shook him slightly to try to wake him, but he did not stir. She pulled Miroku’s arm round her other shoulder, and stood up, her gaze falling upon the rampaging, demonic Inuyasha. ‘At least he isn’t turning on us,’ suggested Shippo, trying not to be scared.  
‘ _Yet…_ what do you think his demon side will be content just shredding these guys?’ Shippo looked terrified as he accepted this fact, and then for some reason, he wished Kagome were here.  
  
Suddenly, as Inuyasha swatted several demons off him, a sacred arrow skimmed his cheek, scratching it, and then striking the demon behind him in the heart. Sango turned to see where it had come from, and where Kikyo stood, bow in hand, her raven hair limp over her shoulders and blood trickling down the side of her face.  
‘Inuyasha,’ she said, putting another arrow to her bow; her voice was just as expressionless, as cold as ever, and Sango felt Miroku stir slightly in her arms, though she barely looked at his awakened face, before he pulled himself away from Sango and stood in between the bow and demon Inuyasha.  
‘Stop…’ he coughed harshly, blood-dripping from his mouth, ‘you can’t kill Inuyasha just because he’s like this…we can get him back!’  
‘Stand aside you fool!’ she snapped coldly, tightening the arrow to the bow.  
‘If we get Kagome, she can bring him back, don’t shoot him.’  
‘Kagome is dead you pathetic little fool. This is the only way to stop Inuyasha now.’  
‘You’re supposed to love him aren’t you? How can you so easily kill him?’  
‘You think this is easy? I don’t want to - sometimes there has to be a strong person, one who is willing to make sacrifices, and that is me!’  
‘Strong is fighting, and never giving up, how can you give up on Inuyasha so easily?’ Kikyo did not reply, the arrow just tightened dangerously to the bow again. ‘That is why you will never even compare to Kagome, because she never gives up on him.’ This seemed to strike a nerve, as Kikyo let the arrow fly, and it struck the ground beside Miroku. He looked up from the arrow to Kikyo, not surprised that she missed, knowing she only mean to show him he had thoroughly pissed her off.  
‘Get out of my way, or I won’t miss this time. I will send you to hell with Inuyasha.’  
  
A terrifying _swish_ of the blade sounded as it whipped fast through the air, Rin cringed, only to feel something drip onto her cheek. She opened her dark eyes, and saw Shippo above her, a gash across his cheek, having taken the attack for her. Shippo screeched deafeningly, and leapt at the creature, sinking his teeth into its disgusting, fleshy arm. The creature howled, and toppled backwards in surprise. Rin leapt to her feet, just as the creature swatted Shippo to the ground, and attacked the kitsune in a blind rage, no weapon of any kind in its spindly claws. Rin seized the scythe, barely able to lift it, but swung it madly, her eyes closed. She opened her eyes after hearing a thud, and cringed as she saw the creature’s body lying on the ground, a few centimetres from its head. Shippo shot up, picking up Kilala, and looked at her with a smile.  
‘That was great!’ he squeaked, making the girl smile back uncertainly, shaking.  
  
Sango pulled up her Hirakoitsu threateningly, but there was no need, demon Inuyasha had stepped out from behind Miroku, and had started stepping towards Kikyo, an evil grin on his face. Then Miroku collapsed, and Sango rushed to his side, supporting his weight on her shoulder, and watched as Inuyasha approached Kikyo. She drew the arrow back further against the bowstring.  
‘Stop!’ she ordered, her voice not cold as usual, but full of emotion. ‘I love Inuyasha, but I will kill this monster if you come any closer.’ Inuyasha grinned evilly, his canines gleaming, his green pupils in his red eyes daring her to let fly the arrow as he stepped one more step forward.  
  
Kikyo closed her eyes, hating with every breath what she was about to do.  
‘No!’ shrieked Shippo, running back into the battle scene with Rin and Kilala, as she let fly the arrow, the pink radiance shimmering through the air as it flew towards Inuyasha. Suddenly a rich scent filled Inuyasha’s nose, and he turned his head sharply to his right.  
‘Kagome?’ his voice was a whisper, but as it left his lips, his demonic features faded from his face, and the hanyou returned…too late?  
  
Kikyo watched within the split second of releasing the arrow, the features fade from the hanyou face, and quicker than lightening she pulled another arrow to the bow, and let that fly like gossamer, striking the other arrow, and sending it off it’s course, and away from Inuyasha, stopping it from hitting him. ‘Kagome?’ he repeated, compassion returning to his voice. He looked around in confusion, until Sango spoke.  
‘You can smell Kagome?’ she had worry plaguing her voice; Inuyasha nodded in reply.  
‘She is afraid…really, really afraid…she’s in real trouble.’ As he spoke the last part, his voice became strong again, and he turned and dashed away from others.  
  
He turned just as he had passed where Sango stood supporting Miroku, he heard the demons continue in their assault, but this time, it was on Kikyo. She shot arrows at the opponents as fast as she could, the others blinded with the rays of pink light. Suddenly, just as Inuyasha went to help her, his ears pricked up. Kagome’s voice, full of fear, desperation and agony, rang within the sound of his own name. Sango looked at him as if she knew what he could hear, but he did not look away from Kikyo. The demons were closing in on her, and they had begun to get attacks in between her arrows, she was in trouble. But with every blow Kikyo received, Inuyasha heard Kagome’s voice. He recalled within that second when Miroku had once asked him if he had to choose, who he would choose. He was faced with the same situation now, though the monk near death in Sango’s arms did not ask him, they were asking him. It seemed liked both Kikyo and Kagome were asking him to choose; as Kikyo put her last arrow to her bow, Kagome’s voice rang louder in his ears. At this moment Kikyo met his eyes, as the final arrow missed; it was within this second that he made his decision, he chose. With tears in his eyes, he turned, and ran towards Kagome’s voice.  
  
As Inuyasha dashed through the trees, Kagome’s screams became heard also by Sango, who was dragging the unconscious (or maybe worse) Miroku with Shippo at her side, clutching the passed out Kilala in his tiny arms, Rin running close behind. Suddenly the trees were less close together, the blood red sunset shone down on Inuyasha and the others as they left the forest’s edge, and ran into the archaic village where Inuyasha could sense Kagome. The small huts scattered over the small plot that was the village, were arranged with a long path through the centre, leading up to the temple at its core. As Inuyasha raced up the path, the others struggling to keep up, he noticed all huts were abandoned, and then he saw why. What seemed to be the whole village had gathered around the temple, and Kagome’s screams called from amidst the crowd, Inuyasha’s name clawing at her throat as she screamed it in agony and fear.  
  
Inuyasha pushed the people aside, knocking them carelessly out his way, until he came to the centre of the crowd, and what they were all gathered around loosely. The stone-built temple towered above him, the only refuge against the demons of this era, but Inuyasha saw that they had shut themselves purposefully outside of it. Two iron chains hung either side of the door’s highest corners, but they were chained to Kagome's wrists and her eyes were closed in pain as blood trickled down her arms from her wrists.  
‘INUYASHA!’ she screamed, not being able to see him as she was chained facing the temple.  
  
Inuyasha dashed to her side, ignoring the yells of protest from the crowd. He flung himself against her, so relieved to have found her alive, and nuzzled his face against the side of hers. ‘Inuyasha?’ she whispered, hopefulness and exhaustion in her voice. Inuyasha was too emotional to speak, but nodded, and placed his hand over Kagome’s. At the sight of the familiar clawed hand over hers, she knew it was him, and her eyes turned glassy. ‘I thought you…I was so afraid you wouldn’t come for me.’  
‘I will always come for you,’ he replied, but stood up straight as he felt someone approaching. He turned to face a tall, dark man glaring and shouting at him.  
‘What the hell are you doing demon?’ Inuyasha looked at him with disgust.  
‘I’m helping her down,’ he replied expressionlessly.  
‘This is not your business, to interfere with our sacrifice!’  
‘Oh but I’m afraid it is you sadistic bastard, she’s with me.’ Inuyasha turned his back, leaning up to attempt to break the cuffs that were cutting sharply into her wrists, when the man grabbed Inuyasha’s wrist, pulling his arm away. ‘Get your disgusting hands off of me,’ warned Inuyasha, in a dangerously calm voice.  
‘We are sacrificing her to Kazuya, to protect our village, you can’t take back what we’ve already promised to him,’ argued the man, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke Kazuya’s name.  
‘You’re his worshippers not me, have the courage to promise something that actually is yours; because her life isn’t yours to promise, you - sick - BASTARD!’ He smacked the man across the jaw, and he went flying into the crowd. The crowd looked at him with fear, as he stood beside Kagome. ‘Anybody else gonna try and stop me?!’ The crowd did not reply they had all fallen silent. It was then, that Inuyasha felt it, the greatest force he had felt in so long, and it was coming this way, and fast…Kazuya! ‘Sango, get over here, he’s coming!’ he yelled as she finally managed to push through the crowd, Miroku still leaning unconscious on her shoulder as she dragged him.  
  
Inuyasha turned to Kagome, and leapt at her, clawing at the chains, trying to break them, but they did not even bend under his strength. Inuyasha stood back, out of breath at his outburst, sweat beading down his face, and Kagome’s blood dripping from his hand where the chains were cutting spitefully into her. Kagome’s voice was so weak and shaky, that Inuyasha could barely hear what she was saying to him.  
‘Inuyasha…get the others inside,’ she whimpered; Inuyasha looked at her in bewilderment. Kagome felt like she was about to pass out from the pain, but she bared it, trying with all her might to stay conscious. ‘The Sages chose this place to seal themselves long ago because Kazuya is too evil to enter it, it is sanctuary, the only place he cannot get to us…GET THEM INSIDE!’ Inuyasha’s golden orbs gazed at her defiantly, not wanting to cause her pain.  
‘If I don’t unchain you first, the cuffs will tighten even more, and they’ll cut you.’ Inuyasha then trembled, feeling Kazuya’s evil approach, and Kagome knew that he was getting closer and closer by the second.  
‘DAMN YOU INUYASHA, GET THEM INSIDE!’ Just then Sango stopped at Inuyasha’s side, Miroku leaning on her, Rin, and Shippo carrying Kilala at her feet. Inuyasha looked at them for a moment, and then mumbled them their orders.  
‘Get inside,’ he muttered, looking at the ground beneath his feet fixedly.  
  
Inuyasha walked slowly behind Kagome again, and slid his fingers in the tiny crack in the door, and taking a deep breath, pulled it open sharply. Kagome’s scream pierced Inuyasha’s ears sharply as he pulled the door ajar slightly, causing her chains to cut into her and the blood poured down her arms, dripping onto Inuyasha’s face. Shippo squeezed through the gap, and dragged Kilala through, the gap being only just big enough for them and then Rin to squeeze through. Inuyasha looked to Sango expectantly, but she shook her head apologetically.  
‘We can’t get through there, Inuyasha.’ Then, Inuyasha shuddered, feeling Kazuya’s presence just yards from then, though he did not have the courage to turn and face him.  
‘GET IT OPEN!’ screamed Kagome, and Inuyasha rested his face against hers comfortingly, tears pouring down his cheeks, mingling with hers, as he yanked the door open even more. As Inuyasha saw Sango shoot inside, dragging Miroku behind her, he slammed the door shut behind them. Kagome was crying in pain, and Inuyasha clawed desperately at the cuffs, trying to get her out. Fear rose up in the two as they felt Kazuya nearing them, his footsteps echoing on the path, but Inuyasha still did not give up in freeing her. Inuyasha let go for a moment, his hands hurting from his desperate tugging at the iron, and wiped Kagome’s blood off his hands.  
‘There is so much blood,’ he muttered to himself, and then he had an idea. He placed his hands gently around Kagome’s wrists, and whispered in her ear. ‘This is gonna hurt,’ he told her apologetically, and yanked her hands out of the cuffs. Because of the blood over her hands, they were able to slip through, and she was free. She collapsed into Inuyasha’s arms, screaming, holding her bleeding wrists close to her. Inuyasha threw open the door, leaping inside with Kagome, landing on the ground beside Sango. ‘SHUT THE DOOR, SHUT THE DOOR!’ he yelled, Sango kicked the stone latch off that was keeping it open, and the door slammed, plunging them into darkness.  
  
Inuyasha heard within the silence, someone scuffling about beside him, and then he heard Sango’s voice.  
‘Let there be light,’ she said, and then with sparks, a small fire appeared on some sticks in the dirt beside him, and he saw Sango beside it. ‘Lucky they’re not very clean, it’s full of sticks this place.’ Inuyasha nodded but then realised something.  
‘Where the hell is the smoke supposed to go?’ Sango smiled, pointing to the ceiling in response.  
‘There is a sort of chimney thing in this temple, the smoke will go up there and out.' Inuyasha’s attention then fell back upon Kagome, as he saw Miroku was okay, he was stirring beside Sango and she was fussing over him. Kagome was shaking and crying in Inuyasha’s arms, the blood pouring uncontrollably from her wrists. Sango turned back to them, and ripped off the cloth she had wrapped around her wrists in battle, and leant towards Kagome, going to wrap up her wrists. Kagome whimpered, and pulled away from Sango, pulling her hands close to her. Just then, Miroku gave a nasty cough, and Inuyasha took the cloth from Sango, nodding towards Miroku.  
‘You help him stay conscious, I’ll help Kagome.’ Sango nodded, turning back to Miroku in the small passageway. Inuyasha pulled her roughly onto his lap, leaning her head against his shoulder. Miroku, who was beginning to be okay now, gazed at Inuyasha in awe at the affection he was showing, as did the now conscious Kilala, Shippo, Rin and Sango, though Inuyasha failed to notice. He stroked her hair softly, snuggling his face against hers, and whispering to her so that the others could not hear. ‘You’re okay now, see, the only one who has you is me, you’re okay,’ he assured her.  
  
Kagome’s crying lessened as he whispered comfortingly in her ear, and Inuyasha reached slowly for her wrists. She let him wrap the cloth tightly round her wrists to stop the bleeding, and as he tied them into place, rested back against his chest, falling into a peaceful silence, her eyes closed. Sango looked at the girl in Inuyasha’s arms for a moment, meeting the hanyou’s contented eyes, and smiling at him, knowing that he was sure he had made the right choice in saving Kagome instead of Kikyo, at least for now. Inuyasha closed his eyes for a moment, feeling Kagome’s heartbeat against his chest, and as he opened them again, watching her rise and fall with each breath he took, he realised suddenly, as he tucked a rogue strand of silken hair out of her face, what had made the choice of her over Kikyo not that difficult considering. He realised what was in his heart that had made it possible to bring him back from his many demonic outbursts, he had within the calm silence of the temple, a sudden realisation, telling him what he had been wondering for the last few years…what was in his heart.  
  
TBC


	12. The Door to Sanctuary

  
_The Door to Sanctuary  
Twelve  
  
  
_ Kagome looked very pale, and Inuyasha was sure she would be sick any minute. He did not like the idea of splitting up, but he was grateful to Sango for allowing him time with Kagome alone; while she had dragged the others away for explore the temple. Besides she had insisted that if Kazuya could not enter the temple, there must be something here that would help them defeat him, and she had dragged the others away to look for it. Inuyasha felt like being alone with Kagome for some reason, though he guessed it had something to do with the realisation from earlier, or the need to explain his horrible behaviour from earlier. Kagome’s breathing shaky as she had been crying so much; the bandages had stopped her bleeding, but Inuyasha guessed she was still shocked about seeing so much of her own blood everywhere. It was then, that a cold shot a shiver up her spine; Inuyasha looked at her worriedly, reaching out for her, and his fingers stroking her arm slightly. Kagome leaned back against him, her head resting on his shoulder.  
‘I thought Kazuya was going to kill you,’ she said hoarsely. ‘I don’t know how you aren’t afraid of him.’  
  
Inuyasha, with his finger under her chin, tilted her head gently, getting her to face him.  
‘I am afraid of him.’ Kagome was hiccupping slightly from the crying, and looked up into his golden eyes with her own hazel, watery ones. ‘Sometimes, being brave doesn't mean you're not afraid, it means knowing what's coming after you, but facing it anyway, even though you know it could kill you in one blow...because you're more afraid it'll hurt the one's you care about that anything else.' Kagome nuzzled her face under his chin, her eyes closed. 'In all truthfullness, sometimes you have to be afraid, because it's only when you're faced with losing everything that you give a fight your all.' Inuyasha felt her tears fall down his neck, and he pulled his arms round her as she hiccupped again.  
‘Kind of ironic, huh? This demon is a fear demon, and you say sometimes you have to be afraid?’ Her whimpering returned as she cried again, trying to keep her voice even, ‘Well I’m afraid but…I just…’ Inuyasha squeezed her tighter as she started shaking. ‘I don’t want to be brave, or understand, if I have to feel like this!’ Her voice was quivering, and overcome with hysteria.  
  
‘I’m here, you don’t have to understand; I’ll do this okay? I promise I’ll stop him.’  
‘Why is he after me?’ she asked him.  
‘I don’t know…but whatever it is, he can’t have you.’  
‘When he comes - the mist - he’ll - my fear of it will let him take me!’  
‘But I won’t,’ he argued reassuringly, ‘I won’t let you go, I swear!’ Kagome pulled away slightly, sitting up on her heels, and looked at him with wide, glassy eyes.  
‘Promise me…you won’t let go of me.’ Inuyasha pulled her back down against him, his golden eyes looking dotingly into hers, and caressing the tendrils of hair around her temples with his fingers.  
‘You need some sleep,’ he said, running his hand along her cheek, and pressing her head gently down on his chest; but Kagome looked back up again.  
‘Promise me,’ she insisted.  
‘I promise.’ Kagome rested her head back down, closing her eyes.  
‘Inuyasha?’ she asked hazily.  
‘Yeah,’ he replied softly.  
‘Why do you think the mist…why does it affect me so?’ Inuyasha was silent for a moment, then replied.  
‘He’s after you by the looks of things, I’m guessing he wants it to get to you more…Kagome?’ he asked, wondering if she was listening. Inuyasha heard her breathing deepen, and he knew she had fallen asleep. He watched her sleep peacefully for a while, waiting for the others to return.  
  
Inuyasha’s eyes shot open suddenly. He guessed he had fallen asleep, lying across his lap, with her head resting on his chest, still fast asleep was Kagome. _I must have dozed off,_ he thought, relaxing back against the wall, breathing in Kagome’s scent deeply. But then he remembered. If he had fallen asleep, then he was awoken by something. _It could have been part of a dream_ , he suggested in his mind, but no, he didn’t even realise he had fallen asleep; there was no chance he could have had a dream. As he looked at the fire Sango had stoked before her departure, he saw that it was nearly burnt out. _I must have been asleep for a long time,_ he thought, sitting up, causing Kagome to stir on his lap, but she continued sleeping as he slid out from underneath her, and stood up.  
  
If he had slept for that long, and the others still weren’t back, that meant something bad in his books. Maybe it was the foreboding calm in the thickness of the dense air that had awakened him, he had no idea. He started to walk away from the fire, only to stop, and turn back to the sleeping Kagome. _If I wake her she might get worried about the others, and panic. She needs rest. But I promised I wouldn’t let go of her,_ he argued with himself, as if two voices were voicing his arguments in his head. _I promised her…But she is in bad shape, she needs to sleep…But I said I wouldn’t leave her…but she’s safe here, Kazuya can’t get her, she said so herself…But something else could get her, and what if she woke up alone, she’d think something had happened to me, or else be upset that I broke my promise…_ He sighed, and walked back to her side; about to wake her from her sleep, but stopped for a moment, pausing to gaze at her, before nudging her slightly. ‘Kagome…Kagome wake up.’ She shifted slightly, but did not awaken. ‘Must be really exhausted, don’t blame you really.’ He smiled, and heaved her up into his arms, walking up the tunnel, as the last of the flames from the fire began to burn out.  
  
He guessed Sango must have lit the torches on the walls, as they were burning with fresh flames. Kagome slept on in his arms, and he was careful not to wake her up, wanting her to stay asleep as long as possible, before she woke up and panicked about the others. He had been walking a while now, but the tunnel didn’t seem to change, it carried on straight, in the same direction, the same height and width, with no change about it at all. _Don’t know why Kazuya can’t come in here, it’s exactly like the Temple of Lost Souls; he’d feel right at home._  
  
Suddenly, he saw up ahead, the suddenly dark blue firelight silhouetting the shapes of people, he stared into the dimness for a moment, before realising that it was the others. ‘Sango, Miroku?’ he asked the shapes quietly, not wanting to wake Kagome, nor anything else that may be in the temple.  
‘Inuyasha?’ asked a familiar, male voice.  
‘Yeah,’ the hanyou replied.  
‘What are you doing here? Where’s Kagome?’ Inuyasha frowned, and then guessed that it was only down to his keen hanyou sight that he could see through the dark blue light.  
‘I’ve got her,’ he said, walking swiftly forward, stopping before them, so that now they could see him.  
‘Well, _Inuyasha_ ,’ said the monk slyly, making an odd expression on the half-demon’s name. ‘I knew you wanted to _talk_ with Kagome, but did you have to _wear_ her out that much?’  
‘Ergh! Sick perverted monk! Is that all you think about?’ he yelled, allowing Sango to smack Miroku, as he himself, still holding Kagome he was unfortunately unable to do so. Miroku rubbed the side of his cheek sulkily.  
‘No, sometimes I think about other stuff.’  
‘By “sometimes” you mean rarely, or not at all don’t you?’ asked the kitsune on his shoulder.  
‘Heh,’ muttered Miroku, with a silly grin on his face. Sango rolled her eyes, and stepped forward, holding Rin’s hand.  
‘She’s been asking for Kagome,’ muttered the demon slayer, so the child could not hear. ‘Why didn’t you wake her up before bringing her?’  
‘Well after you guys left she went a little hysterical, she made me promise not to let go of her before going to sleep, and then I fell asleep, woke up and you guys were still gone. I didn’t want to leave her, or to have her wake up and worry, so I compromised.’  
‘Oooh, Inuyasha said a fancy word,’ teased Shippo, taking into full advantage that Inuyasha couldn’t hit him at the moment.  
  
Kagome shifted in Inuyasha’s arms, making him look down at her for a moment, only to see that she was still asleep, her eyes closed, her face peaceful and dreaming.  
‘We were coming back to get you now, but…’ Sango stopped looking oddly at the darkness behind her, where they must have come from.  
‘What?’ he asked.  
‘We found something…’ Miroku answered for her, turning his back, and walking into the darkness with the others following, and Inuyasha taking it that he had to as well. He followed them along the never-ending passage, the light still a dark indigo, so that it was hard to see anything that wasn’t right beside them, even for Inuyasha now. Just as his eyes managed to get used to the darkness, he slammed his eyes shut, stopping himself from being blinded by the suddenly dazzling light of the sun. He opened his eyes, squinting, and looked down at Kagome, stirring again in his arms, and he turned her face to his chest slightly, stopping the light from getting into her eyes.  
  
The hanyou heard someone giggling, and looked squinting about to see Rin at his feet, looking up at him.  
‘What’re you looking at?’ he asked her. She smiled widely up at him, making him a little uncomfortable.  
‘I hope I find somebody who cares that much about me,’ she said, making Inuyasha blush. He looked fixedly at Kagome, not making eye contact with the little girl.  
‘Sesshomaru cared about you…’ He looked down, and to his horror, silent tears streamed down the girl’s face. ‘Crap, I’m sorry, don’t cry!’ She shook her head, wiping her tears away.  
‘No, its okay, I shouldn’t cry…’ Inuyasha felt bad now, not only had he made her cry, he had made her feel bad for crying.  
‘It’s okay to cry,’ he muttered to her, Sango and the others ahead somewhere, so they couldn’t hear.  
‘Then why don’t you?’ she asked him. Inuyasha looked down at the girl, then back to Kagome again.  
‘I cry…’  
‘When?’ she asked, sounding a little too interested.  
‘Well I…a few times…but, it’s okay to cry.’  
‘Then why do you always tell Kagome-chan not to cry?’  
‘Because…because when she cries I…it makes me upset when she cries. But when you loose someone it’s okay to cry.’  
‘Well, I shouldn’t cry, because I know, Sesshomaru-sama is not dead, he _will_ come back for me, he always does.’ Rin walked after Sango, just as happy as she had been before, making Inuyasha feel even more bad for her. _Poor kid, she really believes that he is still alive…  
  
_ Inuyasha walked onwards, nearly bumping into Miroku, as he was still squinting, readjusting to sunlight.  
‘Why is there sunlight in a cave anyway?’ he asked, now fully adjusted to it. Miroku pointed upwards in reply. There was no ceiling to this cavern that led off from the tunnel; the wide sky was spread overhead, painted with the colours of the beginning of the sunset, where there should have been rock and stone. ‘You idiots, Kazuya will get us!’ shouted Inuyasha, panicking.  
‘Wait a sec,’ said Miroku calmly, picking up a stick from the grassy ground, and slinging it at the sky. It was incinerated within seconds as it hit the invisible, energy barrier overhead; anything that passed through there would be ashes. Inuyasha relaxed again, surprised that Kagome slept on in his arms, clinging to his kimono beside her face, rubbing the fabric softly between her fingers unconciously, making Inuyasha smile before looking back to the others, who all seemed to look away from him immediately as he looked up.  
  
‘Okay so we’re here, what is it you found?’ he looked to where Sango pointed. This was no cavern; it was like some secret garden beyond the dark tunnel. The pink and lavender hued sky was overhead, soft, lush grass was underfoot, flowers grew, a few small trees were scattered, and a clear stream ran through it, flowing from and out of nothing; it was like an illusion. And amidst all of this, was a great, stone door, though Inuyasha frowned; it didn’t lead to anywhere, it was just standing in the centre of all, the door closed. ‘It’s like some weird, haven for the light after all the darkness we’ve been seeing,’ he muttered to the others.  
‘Only the doorway to it actually,’ replied Miroku cleverly, making Inuyasha look at him in confusion.  
‘Huh?’  
‘It’s the Doorway to Sanctuary,’ the monk explained, and Inuyasha walked nervously towards the door.  
‘Then this would be the Door to Sanctuary, the one Kagome told us she read about.’ The others nodded, and they stared pensively at the door for a moment, not speaking a word to one another.  
  
Inuyasha snapped suddenly out of his pensive state, and looked into the peaceful face of the girl in his arms, as she started to awake. She looked up at him, and smiled slightly, before frowning in confusion.  
‘Inuyasha? Where are we?’  
‘The others didn’t come back, and I said I wouldn’t leave you, so I carried you. The others found this.’ She looked about, and smiled in turn at each of her friends. Inuyasha set her on her feet, releasing her when she’d stopped swaying slightly, only to look at her in worry as she winced. ‘What’s wrong?’  
‘Nothing,’ she said, holding her wounded wrists close to her. ‘Just…it still hurts.’ Inuyasha took her hand softly and led her over to the small stream, after having Sango hint at him to change the bandages with very shrewd gestures; Inuyasha couldn’t help but wonder if she really wanted him to do it so he would be alone with Kagome, though put that thought out of his mind, as it kept making him blush. He took the bandages off her wrists carefully, trying not to hurt her as she kept flinching. Inuyasha was surprised the blood did not stain the stream, but it seemed to dissolve, and become part of the crystal clear waters as he washed the bandages. He looked to Kagome, holding her wrists close to her, not wanting Inuyasha to touch them.  
‘You’d better wash your wounds,’ he muttered, feeling responsible for the damage she’d taken, again.  
  
Inuyasha turned back to her a few moments later, the bandages in hand, and wrapping them securely round her wrists, trying to ignore her winces and whimpering.  
‘What is this place anyway?’ she asked him through the squeaks of pain.  
‘Huh? Oh, Miroku said this was the Doorway to Sanctuary or somethin, the haven before the Door to Sanctuary.’ Kagome shot up, Inuyasha shooting up beside her. ‘What’s the matter?’  
‘Sanctuary?’ she asked in a scared voice, Inuyasha nodded.  
‘But what’s so terrible-’  
‘The Sages sealed themselves inside the Door to Sanctuary, Kazuya will come here first!’  
‘But you said he can’t come in here?’  
‘He can’t, come in there!’ she said, pointing to the tunnel. ‘The temple is where we sat earlier; we sealed the spell in keeping him out when you shut the door. But out here he can get us!’  
‘Why didn’t you tell us?’  
‘No, wait,’ she said, calming slightly. ‘I remember some more of the runes…umm, we sealed the spell by shutting the door, so we’re safe as long as the door-’  
‘STOP! NO YOU FOOL!’ Inuyasha and Kagome turned, hearing a familiar voice, though it was unusually loud, and desperate. Inuyasha watched as Sesshomaru charged towards the door, to where Miroku had started to open it. ‘STOP NO! THE SAGES’ MAGIC WILL SUMMON HIM HERE!’ Sesshomaru ignored the crying Rin at his side, and slammed himself against the door, trying to force it shut…too late.  
  
A radiant black energy blasted through the door, tinted with crackles of indigo and crimson energy, bursting from the door as Sesshomaru tried desperately to close it. But the magic surged, splitting the door in two, and sending Sesshomaru flying into the barrier. Sesshomaru skidded to a halt in mid air, just before the barrier, before collapsing to the ground, nearly unconscious with the force of the magic that had just hit him. Rin ran to his side, tears pouring down her face.  
‘Sesshomaru-sama! Wake up!’  
‘I’m sorry!’ screamed Miroku, ‘I didn’t mean to, but it was like, I couldn’t help it, it felt like it wasn’t me.’ The others didn’t hear him. The magic shot through the barrier, and it glowed a radiant fuchsia, before shattering.  
  
Before they knew what was happening, piles upon piles of billowing, eerie mist flowed in, smothering the entrance, but not descending even further.  
‘He’s coming!’ shouted Kagome, shaking with fear, and burying herself in Inuyasha’s chest. Inuyasha snatched her into his arms and skidded to the mouth of the tunnel.  
‘Sango, guys, in here!’ Sango scooped up Kilala, and Shippo and Miroku dashed after her, crouching down at Inuyasha’s side, Kagome refusing to look up from his chest. They looked on in horror as a dark shadow fell over a patch of the fog, and they knew who was overhead. Inuyasha’s eyes widened as he saw, in the midst of the smothered haven, Rin still with the unconscious Sesshomaru. Inuyasha went to get up, but Kagome dragged him with all her strength to his knees again, tears falling from her eyes.  
‘No! Don’t leave me!’  
‘Kagome-’ he eased as he watched Sesshomaru get wearily to his feet. He stumbled forward, and he thought that, amongst the roaring winds he could hear him arguing with the girl at his side.  
  
Sesshomaru tried to steady himself on his feet, but it wouldn’t work, he stumbled slowly forward, sensing the fear demon overhead, and knowing that he would kill him if he caught him.  
‘Rin, get over there with the others...’ he muttered to her, but she stood at his side devotedly. ‘Did you hear me? I said go…’  
‘Sesshomaru-sama? They told me you were dead…’ she whimpered, trying not to cry again now she’d stopped.  
‘Rin, go…’ his voice was rising as he tried to walk faster, but he couldn’t manage it.  
‘But I-’  
‘GO NOW!’ he shouted, throwing her to the ground as the ground shook, and the air whistled dangerously, as Kazuya broke through the fog, descending upon them.  
  
Rin scrambled to where the others were and Sango pulled her down behind her, as Kazuya hovered beside Sesshomaru, looking the youkai in the eye dangerously.  
‘Nice to see you again Sesshomaru, you haven’t aged a day,’ greeted the fear demon, a little too nicely, his crimson orbs staring into the golden orbs that were Sesshomaru’s. ‘Last time I saw you, you were dipping into one of the damned worlds to bring forth a spirit to play the role of your hanyou brother’s mother, in part of that scheme to get the Tetsusaiga. And here you are fighting at his side, tut tut, a little two faced aren’t we?’ Sesshomaru was tired, and if he was going to die, he wanted it over with; he couldn’t stand Kazuya’s calmness. He leapt forward, swiping at the demon with Toukijin. ‘Well, that was rude; I would have thought that at least one of your dysfunctional family members would have thought to teach you manners. What’s the matter, were they too busy fussing over baby Inuyasha to notice you?’ he taunted, rousing a roar of anger from Sesshomaru, and the demon slashed at him viciously with Toukijin.  
  
The fog slowly swallowed up the images of the fighting demons, so that all Inuyasha and the others could see was faint images of them. Kagome finally looked up, but at Inuyasha, as he shifted, going to get to his feet.  
‘Please Inuyasha, no!’ Inuyasha looked into her pleading eyes, stained with tears.  
‘Kagome, Sesshomaru will die.’  
‘Please…you promised me…’ Inuyasha looked to Sesshomaru once more. Kazuya snatched Toukijin, throwing it across the cave, smacking Sesshomaru across the jaw. The demon slammed into the wall, leaping back to his feet, slashing at Kazuya with the whip that appeared at his clawed fingertips. Kazuya grinned evilly, grabbing the whip as he was slashed at, and yanking it, flinging Sesshomaru against the wall. Inuyasha leapt to his feet, Kagome still clinging to him. ‘If you let me go-’  
‘I won’t let him hurt you!’  
‘You can’t stop him if you leave me!’  
‘He’s not after you right now Kagome, let me help.’ Kagome looked up at him, her eyes pleading him to stay, but did not say another word. Inuyasha pushed her back down into Sango’s arms, and the demon slayer held her back, as Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga, disappearing through the now full barrier of mist.  
‘INUYASHA!’ screamed Kagome, but he did not come back at her call.  
  
Inuyasha leapt forwards, slicing off the unsuspecting Kazuya’s arm, and making him release Sesshomaru.  
‘Oh, the brother is here, aren’t you a bold one?’ asked Kazuya, his arm materialising back within seconds. ‘I’m surprised you left your beloved Kagome’s side, after you so sincerely promised her…’ Inuyasha’s eyes widened.  
‘What?’  
‘I’ve been watching her Inuyasha, haven’t you guessed yet…it’s _her_ I’m after…’ Inuyasha looked worriedly back at where he had left Kagome with the others, it was a trick. Kazuya wanted to draw him away from her. ‘I sent the fog after _her_ , I asked the villagers to sacrifice _her_ to _me_ , I sent the wolves after _her_ , I sent the dreams to _her_ , I turned the spirits on you to get to _her_ , but that bitch Kikyo saved her from the pool. Never mind, you saw to it that Kikyo can _never_ save _anyone_ again, didn’t, hanyou?’ Inuyasha roared, leaping towards him. Tetsusaiga glowed in its transformed state, only to be kicked from his grasp, and landed alongside Toukijin. Kazuya grabbed Inuyasha by the throat, digging his nails into his skin, blood dripping down his chest. Inuyasha coughed as he was choked, only to fall to the ground with a thud as he stuck his claws through the demon’s stomach.  
  
Kazuya hovered above him, his wound already healed, and grinned. ‘Well, it’s been fun Inuyasha, but I’m a bit bored now, I think I’ll just take what I came for…’ Inuyasha’s eyes widened, and he stumbled to his feet.  
‘I’ll never let you take her.’  
‘ _You_ aren’t in a position to threaten, HANYOU!’ He surged forward, slashing at Inuyasha, and kicking and punching. Inuyasha stumbled as he took nearly every hit. He fell crashing to the ground, blood pouring from his nose and mouth, coughing and spluttering the same red substance as Kazuya stood above him, readying to deal the final blow. Inuyasha got to his feet once more, looking into the demon’s eyes. ‘You’re very strong willed Inuyasha, but I’m afraid that isn’t enough to defeat me.’ He stopped a moment, trying to make his confidence scare Inuyasha down, but the hanyou stood strong. ‘It doesn’t do well to be a brave man Inuyasha. Brave men have faced me before, good, pure, brave men; they all died at my feet, after watching me take what they fought for.’ Inuyasha laughed hoarsely, spitting a mouthful of blood from his lips.  
‘And I might die the same, but you won’t get what you came for Kazuya. You’re running on a low fuel, revenge won’t get you far.’  
‘What?’ asked Kazuya, sounding slightly less confident.  
‘You were made to watch Yuna die, so you get revenge by taking things from other people. That’s kind of sad really.’ Kazuya sneered, and launched himself with an angry growl at the hanyou, smacking the side of his jaw, and sending him crashing into the wall, collapsing onto the ground, his golden eyes closing as the blood poured from his temple, pooling on the ground beside him.  
  
Kagome sobbed in Sango’s arms, the fear that the mist caused overwhelming her, and sending her into hysteria. Sango looked up in terror as the mists began to clear, and Kazuya became visible through the fading vapour. She hugged Kagome tight, as Miroku tensed beside her. Miroku and Sango had ordered Shippo and Kilala to take Rin back up the tunnel, and protect her; the three were the last ones against the demon. Sango held Kagome tight as Miroku drew to his feet, his staff in hand.  
‘Leave,’ he muttered. Kazuya grinned, all of his vampire like teeth glimmering ominously, but he did not move. ‘You won’t get past me, so get away from us.’  
‘Funny, I seem to be hearing that a lot to day,’ said Kazuya confidently. ‘Let me just try a theory out on you, Miroku.’ Miroku’s eyes widened at the sounding of his name, and the demon leapt forward, snatching the staff from the monk, and whacking him across the head with it, throwing the staff aside as the monk crumpled to the floor. ‘Yes, just as I thought, I could get past,’ Kazuya muttered to himself, his tone almost amused.  
  
Suddenly, his evil gaze turned to the two women, as Kagome clung to Sango even more, the demon slayer, trying not to tremble as much as the clinging girl.  
‘Kagome,’ she whispered, and Kagome looked up at her. ‘When I tell you to, run.’ Kagome shook her head, but Sango smiled at her, and stood her up beside her. Sango left Kagome’s embrace, and walked towards Kazuya calmly, stopping inches before him. ‘NOW!’ she screamed, the blade shouting from her armoured sleeve, and into his neck as she punched him. Kagome ran, but not up the tunnel, towards Inuyasha. She had an idea, if only she could get to Inuyasha, or Sesshomaru, they could break the door, and the spell would be undone. She spied Inuyasha, lying in a heap on the ground, his eyes closed.  
  
She dropped at his side, tears pouring from her eyes. She stroked alongside his cheek with her fingers, and he was cold. She threw her head over his, her hair lying over his own, and the blood from his head wounds seeping into her hair and onto her face, but she didn’t care. She cried until her throat hurt, and a dark shadow fell over her. Kazuya was there as she looked up, and she sat up, staring him in the face, intertwining her fingers with Inuyasha’s.  
‘Kagome,’ he said politely to her, but she sneered, tears till falling down her cheeks.  
‘Get away from me!’ she threatened, anger building inside her.  
‘Hmph, getting a little of that hanyou’s attitude are we?’  
‘Good, then kill me, like you did him!’ she said strongly, getting to her feet. Kazuya smiled evilly, and shook his head.  
‘No, I have _better_ ideas for you,’ he replied, leaning in closer towards her. ‘It seems you have blood on you,’ he said lightly, running his fingers through the bloodstained ends of her hair that hung limply over her shoulders.  
‘Get away from me!’ she shouted, slapping his hand away. He grabbed a handful of her hair viciously, and forced her face down into the stream beside them. She tried with all her might to push back, and get up, but as she struggled for breath, she could feel herself loosing to the coldness of the shallow waters, and her world went black.  
  
  
TBC


	13. Helpless

_Helpless  
Thirteen  
  
  
_ Kagome felt a searing pain in her wrists again, and as she opened her eyes she saw why. Iron cuffs were on her wrists, attaching her to a chain that was thrown over a branch of a tree, forcing her to stand up. A cruel, lustful gaze met her eyes from the shadows, and as she met the dangerous crimson of them with her hazel eyes, she dragged fiercely at the chains, trying to free herself, but the branch did not give way. Suddenly the eyes were upon her, and she saw to whom they belonged. Pallid, ghost-like skin glowed on his face, and jet black hair was tied back out of his evil face, and a wide, malicious grin spread across it as he neared her. He stopped just inches before her, and she felt his hot breath on her face, she looked away from him, not wanting to look at him, she tugged at the chains again, trying to escape, but the man grabbed the chain, straightening her arms up, and pressing himself against her body.  
‘Don’t do that,’ he said, his voice was a low, calm one, and the confidence within it frightened her.  
‘What am I doing here? And what are you?’ she demanded of him, and his evil grin failed to falter. He pressed himself closer to her.  
  
‘You are here because I have been searching for you, ever since I saw your image in the sacred mirror,’ he replied, gazing at her, though she did not look up. ‘And as for what I am, I think you already know that…’ Kagome looked away from him, avoiding his gaze once more,  
‘You’re a monster…’ He nodded slightly, bringing his free hand over her wrists. His skin was cold, unlike his harsh breath, and Kagome tried to pull away, but he was too strong for her. ‘What do you want with me?’ she asked, the fear overwhelming her voice, though she did not care if he could sense it or not. He ran his hand down her arm, and down her side to rest on her hip, and she shuddered.  
‘You read the runes of my life, I want revenge for what was done to me, I want to plunge the world into the prophesized darkness, and rule over the shadowed world...and I want you at my side.’  
  
Kagome suddenly realized what he had her here for, and struggled to be free harder than ever. The helplessness in Kagome’s eyes as she tried to break free, shimmered to heighten her attractiveness, and Kazuya pressed himself even harder against her. His hand ran up her side, and along her collarbone; Kagome turned her face from him, finding him disgusting, as he ran his hand over her heart, and held his hand there. ‘It’s amazing the fear I inflict in people, I can almost dance to the beat of your heart.’ Kagome did not move or say anything, tears falling silently down her cheek as she knew what he was going to do to her. He caressed with his fingertips over her breast, and held his hand there, and she squirmed.  
‘Stop it! Stop it!’ she shouted at him, writhing with disgust, wanting to be free from him. His hand pressured her breast all the more, and Kagome screamed, wishing that Inuyasha would hear her, and come to rescue her, but knowing full well that that was impossible.  
  
Suddenly he released her, both hands running up over the cuffs binding her wrists, and causing her a momentary pain, snapped them off her wrists. Kagome dropped to the ground from the weight that her legs had to carry on their own so suddenly, and she ran her hands around her free wrists. Kazuya knelt beside her; he ran his hand up the back of her calf muscle, as he spoke again to her.  
‘I want to make you immortal like me,’ he said, she looked up at him, anger replacing the tears in her eyes.  
‘But I don’t! I don’t want to become immortal, least of all so I can live eternity with you!’ Her voice was full of loathing for the creature before her, though he did not seem to notice it.  
‘After I have killed the hanyou and the others you will learn to love me,’ he insisted, moving closer to her, his hand travelling higher up her inner thigh.  
‘Love isn’t something you learn, especially for someone you hate.’ Kagome realised where his hand now was, and pushed it away from her nastily.  
  
Kazuya grabbed hold of her wrists, dragging her up close to him, and her hazel eyes quivered as he looked into them, making her understand that he had the power here, not her. As he held her tiny wrists in one hand, his other hand caressed up her stomach, over her breastbone; he clasped his pallid fingers around her shirt collar, and began to drag at it. Kagome pulled her body away from him, but his grip was vice-like, she struggled against him as he ripped and tore savagely at her clothes.  
‘No, don’t!’ she screamed at him, but he ignored her pleas, and shredded her clothes with his claws. ‘Please stop it!’ Her voice was full of desperation but he ignored it still. Kagome pulled one of her hands free, and she slapped his pale face with all the force she could, and he stopped in his assault. He gazed at her in surprise for a moment, before dragging her roughly to her feet before him, staring dangerously into her eyes. He kicked her full force in her stomach, and she was sent flying, skidding across the floor, and she lay there, unable to move, powerless. She lay motionless on her side one arm lying across the ground, her head resting on it where she had fallen, her eyes closed, and the other hand rest across her chest, concealing it from her onlooker.  
  
He gazed sadistically at his prisoner, evaluating his unwilling partner’s naked flesh, and licked his lips approvingly. Her curvaceous body seemed to glow with radiance, and he approached her willowy body, evil intentions in his mind. Kagome was conscious, but only just, and not truly aware of what was happening. She could feel someone watching her, and she could hear, but sounds were blurred and fuzzy, and she could not make them out. She had lost all control of her body, and it felt limp and lifeless, except for the cold air that she could feel on her bare skin, but did not have strength enough to even shiver, and the agony in her stomach where he’d hit her and where a giant bruise now grew.  
  
Kazuya knelt beside her body, Kagome’s face was concealed by her arm, but he knew she was conscious, somehow he could sense it and he reached his hand forward to touch her supple skin. Suddenly a hand clasped tight around his wrist, he looked up and saw whom it was attached to, but merely grinned at his attacker.  
‘Here to stop me are you?’ Kazuya asked, a little too confidently.  
‘Actually, I am,’ replied his attacker, and bent Kazuya’s wrist back until it gave a sickening snap. Kazuya growled nastily as his wrist bent back. His attacker hurled him across the ground, and he skidded to a halt a short distance from Kagome and Kazuya’s enemy; Inuyasha knelt down beside Kagome, and pulled her up into his arms, nuzzling his face against hers tenderly.  
  
Kagome whimpered in pain as her stomach was forced to bend when Inuyasha pulled her into his arms, his deft fingertips caressing the curls of hair around her temples. He took one of her hands and ran it softly over his own cheek, wanting her to know that he was here.  
‘Kagome…?’ he whispered to her, still nuzzling his face close to hers. Kagome was too far out of it, and did not know who this was that was holding her. However, she was so exhausted, and in so much agony, she had no idea who was holding her, nor could she find the strength to care. She heard Inuyasha speak, but did not hear what he said, and his voice was so filled with emotion and huskiness, that she could not even recognize it.  
  
Inuyasha despaired when Kagome did not respond to his voice, and tears built in his eyes. As his tears fell on Kagome’s cheek, Kagome exhaled hoarsely and Inuyasha looked hopefully at her. ‘Kagome? Kagome I am here, please…it’s me.’ Inuyasha nuzzled closer to her, stroking her hair, hoping she would respond to him. Kagome felt Inuyasha stroke her ebony hair, and realized in her helpless state that only one person had ever done this for her; as she thought this, she studied the husky voice, without understanding the words, and she frowned as her realization brought her slightly back towards reality, and the pain.  
‘Inu…’ Inuyasha looked down at her, as she tried to speak, ‘Inu…yasha?’ Inuyasha took her hand that he still held, guiding it through his hair, and over his doggy ears, they twitched with a mind of their own as her limp fingers stroked them. Kagome could not smile, she did not have the strength, but she could force up words, just one; Inuyasha smiled thankfully as she whispered, ‘Hai…’ in his ears. Kagome’s situation was not much better, words still made no sense in her ears, and the only sense she seemed to be able to have in tact was touch, as her eyes refused to open. However, she knew that Inuyasha was here, and she slipped even further away from the world, knowing she would be okay now, though she could not manage to fall asleep, even with this comforting thought in her mind, the agony would not allow it.  
  
Inuyasha pulled his kimono off of him without letting Kagome fall from his embrace, and pulled it round her. Suddenly he discovered the massive bruise on her otherwise flawless skin, and his temper had been exceeded, as his vision passed from the black and blue blemish on her stomach, to the monster that had done it. Kazuya now rose at last from the ground, the evil grin finally having fallen from his face, and into an even more menacing glare. Inuyasha pulled Kagome close to him as the creature rose, his emotions a mix somewhere between fear and anger.  
‘You fucking bastard,’ he cursed at the creature before him, his gentleness disappearing just as quickly as it had come, ‘I can’t tell you how much I’m gonna fucking kill you.’ Kazuya advanced slowly towards Inuyasha and Kagome, daring Inuyasha to stop him. Inuyasha pulled Kagome closer, trying to think of a way out of this mess. ‘You keep the hell away from her,’ he ordered Kazuya, his voice strong, trying to not show just how helpless he felt. _I’m not going to lose_ thought Inuyasha, _I’ve got to find a way out; I won’t let her  
down._ Kazuya stopped as Inuyasha spoke to him, looking evilly amused once more.  
  
‘And how you pathetic little fool, do you expect to stop me from taking her?’ Inuyasha wanted to leap at him, to hit him, to slash at every pore of the monster’s skin, but he had promised not to let Kagome go, and he lost her once by breaking that promise and he wouldn’t do it again.  
‘I don’t know how I will stop you, but-’  
‘-But nothing, you are weak hanyou; your so-called _massive_ strength is nothing to my supreme power. Those almighty sages, even their power could not kill me; it could not even seal my soul to oblivion as they were supposed to have done. What power do you have, you are just a boy compared to me.’ His voice was harsh, and superior, and he knew he was going to win if Inuyasha gave in to his hatred and anger at this man.  
  
‘I don’t know how I will stop you, but I will,’ Inuyasha continued, ‘because if I loose, nothing will be able to stop you from getting Kagome, and I won’t let that happen.’ His voice seemed foreign to his throat, it was strong and confident, and not at all how he felt right now. ‘And those sages weren’t all that incompetent were they? You are alive, but what about Yuna, they killed her, condemned her soul to oblivion, and no one can bring her back. They hold more power over you than you realize.’ Kazuya’s temper soared, higher than even Inuyasha’s and he seemed to be using all of his strength just to not attack Inuyasha.  
‘You speak of power, but you know nothing of it! Your sword is your power you pitiful half blood child, an old trick of a dead dog-demon and you seem to have misplaced that!’ Inuyasha looked at where Tetsusaiga’s sheath should have been, and saw that it was gone, and he knew he had left it back in the cave with Sango and Miroku…and Sesshomaru!  
  
Kagome whimpered lightly, not understanding the voices, but still hearing their harsh tones, she lifted her hand slightly and clung to Inuyasha’s shirt. He looked down at her distressed face, and knowing she could not hear him, held his hand over hers, and her tenseness seemed to lessen. Kagome’s hand, beneath Inuyasha’s gave off a faint, mystic, pink radiance, and Inuyasha knew what it was.  
‘That’s where you are wrong Kazuya…thinking that a sword is my power.’ Kazuya did not understand Inuyasha’s words, but he did not have to, it was soon explained to him. He looked back down at Kagome, and with the hand that was held loosely over hers, intertwined her fingers with his own. As the pink light was completely covered by his hand, it seemed to glow through, and glimmer through his own hand now. A radiant barrier of pink energy rose up around Inuyasha and Kagome, knocking Kazuya flying and smacking him into a tree. As Kazuya rubbed the back of his head, he looked back to Inuyasha and Kagome. He wondered how a youkai could cause a barrier with that purity, and then he realized, it wasn’t Inuyasha doing this… it was Kagome.  
  
Kazuya had far surpassed anger now, and he stood up with a quick jolt.  
‘She is a fragile child Inuyasha; you cannot hide from me forever. I will find you wherever you hide, and when I do, what will stop me from taking what I want?’  
‘You can’t have her,’ replied Inuyasha strongly.  
‘And why ever not?’ asked Kazuya, advancing upon them once again as the pink aura began to fade.  
‘You can’t have her…BECAUSE SHE’S MINE!’ The barrier burst back to life, devastating the clearing around them, Kazuya being flung away from them, and he disappeared from Inuyasha’s view, amongst the masses of blinding energy. As the barrier began to dim, Inuyasha scooped up Kagome, and dashed away from the clearing, determined to be as far away from here as possible when that barrier fell.  
  
  
  
TBC  



	14. Hero

_Hero  
Fourteen  
  
  
_ Inuyasha rested Kagome against the tree, its branches overhanging into the calm stream beside it. The forest was so dark, yet the rays of moonlight trickled through the thick branches of surrounding trees, reflecting in the water and allowing light into the small glade. Kagome winced in agony as he set her down, and gasped, causing Inuyasha to look back at her in concern. The reflection of the moonlight in the water shone on her sweet face, and he found her even in this pitiable state to be angelically breathtaking, the moonlight lit up her skin as she lay there motionless, and only half-conscious. As she took in a shallow breath, her lips parted slightly; Inuyasha lost all self-control, and leaning forward, brushed his lips against hers. He pulled away from her quickly, regaining his sense and realising what he had done. He leant back off her and onto his heels, his face rather flushed. He turned away from her momentarily towards the stream, and knelt beside it, feeling rather thirsty all of a sudden.  
  
In Kagome’s distantness from reality, she felt the sharp pain across her stomach as Inuyasha set her down, though she did not know where she was, or have the strength to ask. She had no idea what had happened between Inuyasha and Kazuya, and had no idea that Inuyasha had tapped into her miko powers, and put up that barrier, though she found herself feeling even more drained all of a sudden. Then she tried to move, as her back ached from how Inuyasha had sat her, but she could not move, and she let out a shallow breath as the bruise across her stomach throbbed again. Suddenly she felt her face grow hot, and something passed over her slightly parted lips. As whatever is was pulled away from her lips and left her side, she wondered what was happening, and tried to bring herself back to reality.  
  
‘Inu…yasha?’ Inuyasha turned round on his heels at the hoarse sounding of his name. He saw Kagome shift slightly, and then her eyes fluttered open. Inuyasha dashed back to her side, and she looked around hazily and confusedly, trying to get her focus back. ‘Inuyasha?’ she repeated quietly. Inuyasha moved closer to her, slipping his hand into hers that lay limp, across her lap.  
‘I’m here,’ he replied huskily, caressing the back of her hand with is thumbs reassuringly. Kagome struggled for words at first, as she struggled to get her vision back, she tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t form properly.  
‘I - I can’t - can’t see,’ she stuttered. Tears fell from her eyes as she struggled to see again, and she tried not to be afraid, an aching feeling in the back of her head where she had landed from Kazuya’s blow. Inuyasha’s free hand stroked along the side of her face, and she nuzzled close to it, tears falling from her eyes. Inuyasha stroked her tears away with his finger, Kagome tried to form words to tell him she was in agony, but her throat was dry from her long silence, and all she could form was hoarse breathing or random words. ‘Inuyasha, I can’t - it hurts - like this - I…’ Inuyasha had no idea what she was saying; he leant forward, pulling Kagome towards him, she gasped in agony as her stomach bent, until Inuyasha pulled her onto his lap, her head resting against his chest. He held her so the pain in her stomach lessened, and her vision returned slowly, as she curled her fingers around the locks of white hair that draped over Inuyasha’s shoulders.  
  
No sooner had her vision returned, than in Inuyasha’s warm embrace, she closed her eyes, bordering on sleep. Inuyasha looked down into her peaceful face, and believing her to be fast asleep, ran his finger softly along her bottom lip. Her eyes fluttered open again, and she looked up at him catching the doting look in his golden eyes before he hid it from her by looking away. Kagome didn’t have the energy to smile, but she felt she would have if she could. As Inuyasha shifted slightly, to avoid the numbing sensation in his legs from how he sat, Kagome felt the kimono around her slipping open, and she released her fingers from Inuyasha’s hair, pulling the kimono back round her; however as she did so, the pain shot back over her stomach and she flinched. Inuyasha looked down at her confusedly.  
’What’s wrong?’ Once again Kagome tried to speak, but her throat was too dry, and no words Inuyasha could understand came out of her mouth.  
‘Here,’ said Inuyasha, and he pulled her up, so her head rested in the crook of his arm, she winced as he moved her, but Inuyasha just pulled her closer to the stream beside them.  
‘I…can’t,’ stuttered Kagome, wincing as she attempted to move. Inuyasha cupped some of the gleaming water in his hand and held it to her lips.  
  
After he had fed Kagome the water, he laid her back down against the tree, though setting her down a little more comfortably this time. He looked away from her a moment, gazing pensively at the ripples in the water. ‘You must think I’m really pathetic,’ she uttered, breaking the silence, ‘being this helpless.’ Inuyasha did not look up at her, but continued to gaze at the water as he replied.  
‘I don’t think you’re pathetic…you were strong enough to be alive after what just happened to you.’  
‘Nothing happened to me, you stopped him,’ she replied weakly, still feeling useless. ‘All I do is cause you trouble.’  
‘That’s not true,’ he replied, still not looking at her.  
‘Then why won’t you hold me, or look at me?’ she asked, her voice strong again. Inuyasha took a while to reply, and when he did, his voice was full of self-wretchedness, and guilt.  
‘Because something could have happened…if I hadn’t come when I did, he could have - _hurt_ you, and it would have been entirely fault, just because I broke my promise, and let go of you.’ Kagome looked at him with glassy eyes, trying to make him look at her.  
‘It has nothing to do with you, it was my fault he caught me! If I had ran when Sango said, if I wasn’t so dependant on you, if I wasn’t so weak-’ she tried to stand up then, but fell forward instead; Inuyasha leapt forward and caught her, holding her in his arms. ‘See, I can’t even stand up on my own,’ she winced as she held her stomach, feeling utterly pathetic, ‘what must you think of me…?’  
‘I think you’re beautiful,’ he replied, brushing her hair out of her face, and tucking it behind her ear. Her eyes widened in surprise of what he’d just said. ‘And you are all the more beautiful to me because you are fragile, and so easily broken. And the more you fall, the more you mess up…it only makes you shine all the brighter.’ Kagome looked up into his golden eyes, trying to stop tears from pouring from her own.  
  
‘I’m not beautiful,’ she replied, the tears flowing uncontrollably from her, ‘I’m not anywhere near as special as you make me out to be.’ Inuyasha did not say anything; he just gazed at her devotedly, as if he weren’t fully aware what she was saying. ‘I’m just some stupid little girl who needs to be rescued all the time-’  
‘-I told you, it doesn’t matter-’  
‘-No it doesn’t,’ she interrupted, ‘because I’ve already been saved.’ Kagome continued, ignoring the agony in her stomach as Inuyasha held her, inches above the ground where he’d caught her moments before. ‘And every time I fall, I don’t have to worry because I know you will always be there to catch me; and every time you do, I know I made the right choice when I chose you. You have a lot of faults Inuyasha, a lot of downsides…but you have even more goodness to you than anyone else has ever seen. You chose to be good when evil was offered to you, saved and protected so many people, and you’re kind when you allow yourself to be…’ She broke off for a moment, partly because of the overwhelming emotion, and partially because of the pain in her stomach. ‘…and that’s why you…you’re my hero.’  
  
Inuyasha suddenly found himself enchanted by the hazel orbs that were her eyes, gazing at them through the tears that built in his own. Kagome had seen Inuyasha cry only once before, and that was only because he thought she was dead, not because of something she’d told him. Inuyasha’s hand, (the one not supporting her back) traced up the side of her body slowly, and he held it gently behind her neck. He dipped her body downwards; Kagome gazed up at him in bewilderment, while closing his own golden eyes, Inuyasha leant his head down towards her, passing his lips gently over hers, so that they barely touched.  
  
Kagome pulled her own arm round Inuyasha’s neck, pulling him closer and sucked lightly on his bottom lip. She released him just then, pulling her arm away from his neck. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said huskily, ‘I just…’ she didn’t finish her sentence; she just fell into silence as a deep breath passed through her slightly parted lips.  
  
Inuyasha, ignoring every instinct of his usual behaviour, leant back down towards her, his hand straying from her neck to her shoulder, and running up her arm, guiding it back behind his neck once more and pressed his lips softly against hers. Inuyasha pulled away suddenly, sitting her up gently beside him, pulling the kimono up fully round her. Kagome turned slowly, and saw what he was looking at. Sesshomaru stood close by, and Kagome was sure he was close to smiling oddly at Inuyasha.  
‘Do you think you can keep those raging desires under control for a moment, brother?’ he asked his voice cold as he added the last part. Inuyasha did not reply, he just stood up, walking over to Sesshomaru, not wanting him to come near Kagome when she was wearing practically nothing.  
‘How long have you been standing there?’ asked Inuyasha quietly so Kagome could not hear.  
‘Long enough,’ replied Sesshomaru, just as quiet. Inuyasha grew impatient with his older brother.  
‘Well our family reunions, however not very often aren’t exactly wanted, so what the hell do you want?’ he asked snappishly.  
‘I heard your human screaming, though when I got to the place I had heard it, she had gone. All I found was a thoroughly livid Kazuya, and some shreds of your humans clothes.’  
‘Why didn’t Kazuya kill you?’ Inuyasha asked. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes slightly.  
‘I can void being seen if I wish. I am not as reckless as you Inuyasha; no one will find me until I want to be found.’ Inuyasha exhaled deeply, using up every piece of his will not to smack the smug look off his brother’s face.  
‘Well I kind of had to be seen, I kind of had the: _I’m going to smack Kazuya across the forest floor,_ thing going, so you kind of have to be seen for that.’  
‘He would have killed you Inuyasha. Even you are not foolish enough to want to go up against him alone.’  
‘I know he’s stronger than me, but some things cancel out power. I had to go and find him, and I had to face him, whether he could kill me or not. It was out of my control.’  
‘Yes,’ said Sesshomaru, his gaze fixing over Inuyasha’s shoulder and on Kagome. ‘Some things do.’  
  
Inuyasha was fed up with his brother now and basically just wanted him the hell away from them.  
‘What do you want? Tell me and piss off!’ Sesshomaru did not respond, until he felt like he wanted to.  
‘I have my reasons for being here, some I will reveal now, and some I won’t.’ Inuyasha sighed again.  
‘Alright, when did you start talking in riddles? What do you want?’ Sesshomaru extended his arm, and Inuyasha noticed he was holding a small bundle of clothes; Inuyasha looked up at his brother in bewilderment. ‘What the hell are these?’  
‘These are for your human, I told you I saw her clothes shredded; these are for her.’ Inuyasha did not take them. Sesshomaru stepped forward, going to step past Inuyasha, but Inuyasha leapt in front of him.  
‘Where the hell do you think you’re going?’  
‘You won’t take them; I’ll have to give them to her.’ Inuyasha looked at him with pure hatred.  
‘I hate you,’ he assured his brother with deepest loathing. Sesshomaru nodded slightly.  
‘You do not have to like me to keep your human from freezing to death.’ Inuyasha took the bundle off Sesshomaru, rather reproachfully, and making this known to his older brother as well with a nasty look in his golden eyes. ‘I thought so; you wouldn’t want me near your precious human would you?’ Inuyasha stiffened at the faint hostility in his brother’s voice.  
‘I would never let you near her; and don’t call her that, she isn’t some possession, she doesn’t belong to anybody. So don’t look at her with that sick, sadistic gaze, like she’s some sort of thing.’ Sesshomaru looked as though he may smile, but he didn’t.  
‘You really are her hero aren’t you,’ he muttered. Inuyasha’s eyes widened at Sesshomaru’s words. Had he heard his conversation with Kagome?  
  
Inuyasha looked back up at Sesshomaru, as he realised he still had no intentions of leaving anytime soon.  
‘What now?’ he asked, his voice filled with annoyance.  
‘I want something in return for something you want.’ Inuyasha rolled his eyes impatiently, and nodded for Sesshomaru to continue. ‘Our father left something for each of us, do you want yours back?’ Inuyasha’s eyes widened as Sesshomaru drew Tetsusaiga from behind him, but Inuyasha did not move.  
‘What do you want from me?’ Inuyasha asked.  
‘If I give you back our father’s sword, I want you, when the night without the moon comes, to not hide, I want you to stand under the moonless sky, to enter the temple of Kazuya’s grave, with all of your companions.’  
‘Are you joking?’ asked Inuyasha, ‘Kazuya will sense us and kill us all.’  
‘What would be the point of giving the sword to you, just so you would die? Then Kazuya would get Tetsusaiga. I do not intend for you or any of the others to die.’  
‘Oh, that’s nice to know,’ Inuyasha replied sarcastically.  
‘Do you want our father’s sword back or not?’ Inuyasha looked with deep hatred at him, before hesitantly reaching for the sword, but Sesshomaru jerked it away slightly. ‘You must swear on your human’s blood that you will do this.’  
‘But we can’t hide out for another month, the night with no moon passed when we were at The Temple of Lost Souls.’  
‘Yes, but there will be another moonless night the day after tomorrow.’  
‘But, that can’t be,’ argued Inuyasha quietly, ‘the new moon won’t come by for another-’  
‘I know what you think, just trust me, get to the temple from where you exited, and go in when the moonless sky is overhead.’ Inuyasha knew that Sesshomaru was up to something, but something in his brother’s eyes told him he was sincere with his request, and he nodded, before taking the sword from his brother, and turning, going back to Kagome’s side.  
  
As he sat beside Kagome, she looked up at him in bewilderment. Inuyasha reattached Tetsusaiga’s sheath to himself, before setting the bundle of clothes beside Kagome.  
‘What was that about?’ she asked quietly, as she watched Sesshomaru disappear from view.  
‘He gave me some things, in return for a promise, which I think is mostly just a hint of how to defeat Kazuya.’ She looked at him even more oddly at his reply. ‘Can you move yet?’ she shook her head slightly, wincing as she tried to sit up. ‘He gave me some clothes for you, I want you to put the on, so we can get going.’  
‘I can’t move,’ she replied, ‘can’t we wait?’  
‘I’m afraid not, we have to be at the temple the day after tomorrow night before the new moon, and we have to find Sango and the others before that.’ Inuyasha pulled his arms round her, setting her up on her knees before him, steadying her up, and handing her the clothes. ‘Don’t think about it too much, we just gotta do it. Please, try and dress, I’ll be back in a moment.’  
‘Where are you going?’ she asked panicking, as he got to his feet, starting to walk away.  
‘I’m just gonna be over here, until you’re done.’ Kagome smiled at him slightly, as he walked over behind the tree and sat beside the stream.  
  
Inuyasha tried not to look into the stream to see her reflection there, but his curiosity got the better of him, and his golden eyes would not tear themselves away from her image in the water. He watched as she drew on her long skirt with difficulty, wincing slightly; although she now had her back to the stream, Inuyasha knew she was holding her hands over the wound on her stomach, and he got up slowly, walking over to her. Kagome dropped to her knees, unable to support herself anymore, though still hadn’t managed to draw on the shirt of her kimono. Inuyasha knelt down soundlessly behind her, hung the white clothing over her shoulders loosely. She jumped slightly, as he touched her, and he smiled. ‘Sorry,’ he said, lifting up the ebony silk that was her hair, and sliding the shirt completely over her, letting her hair fall back again afterwards.  
  
Kagome tied the front up, now being fully clothed, but noticed Inuyasha’s hands remained on her shoulders, and she turned slowly to face him.  
‘Thank you,’ she whispered, her dulcet voice returning to normal at last after that night’s events.  
‘You’re welcome,’ he replied, still gazing at her. With that, Kagome lifted her hands behind her head, scooping up the black silk, and tying it up. When she looked back at Inuyasha, to discover he wore a slightly odd look on his face.  
‘What is it?’ she asked him, and his face grew into a smile, his eyes shining at her.  
‘Close your eyes,’ he said softly to her. She looked at him oddly for a moment, but then sighed, and closed her eyes slowly. Inuyasha leant forward, his hand tracing up the side of her face, and into her hair, drawing softly out the white band she had tied it up with, (he guessed it must have been in the bundle). She opened her eyes slightly, to find his face close to her, and he sat back on his heels, after having drawn out the tie from her hair, and it flowed down, hanging over her shoulders slightly. She looked at him in bewilderment. ‘I love your hair,’ he said distantly, running his fingers through the ebony tresses. Kagome wondered if he knew he was saying this out loud, and started blushing slightly at his compliment.  
‘I’ll wear it down if you want me to,’ she replied, he smiled in reply, continuing to run his fingers through her hair.  
  
Suddenly, Inuyasha pulled his hand away, seeming to snap back into reality, and sniffed the air slightly. ‘What is it?’ she asked.  
‘I can smell…’ he drew off, looking about slightly. ‘Sango, Shippo, all of you get your asses out here,’ he called, and to Kagome’s surprise, out of the trees, came Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kilala.  
‘Having fun were you?’ asked Inuyasha annoyed, tapping his fingers on his arm, his arms crossed.  
‘Well sort of,’ replied Miroku, ‘it’s amazing what you can see when you’re hiding in a bush.’  
‘How long were you there for?’ asked Kagome, blushing slightly.  
‘He and Shippo only caught up with Kilala and I when you were dressed don’t worry. But Kilala and I were here, well, Sesshomaru was here when we got here,’ said Sango, as she helped Kagome to her feet, Inuyasha drawing up beside her. ‘What the hell did he want, we couldn’t hear?’  
‘Long story,’ said Inuyasha, ‘I’ll tell you on the way.’  
‘Everything?’ asked Shippo, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Inuyasha turned nearly as red as Kagome, but did not reply.  
‘Stop teasing our little silver-locked hanyou, we have more important things to do,’ insisted Sango, noticing Inuyasha did not like the reference to hair that was sneaked in. ‘Let’s get going.’ Inuyasha hoisted Kagome up onto a transformed Kilala’s back, and she sat with Shippo, while he, Sango and Miroku walked in front, talking quietly, knowing that they were not alone in the forest, feeling something’s gaze weighing heavy on their party as they walked, and they quickened their pace a little.  
  
  
TBC


	15. On The Threshold of Fear

  
_On The Threshold of Fear  
Fifteen  
  
  
_ Miroku walked with his head low, staring exhaustedly at the ground as he walked beside Sango, slightly ahead of the others. It seemed they had been walking for hours and hours, yet the sun had only just begun to peak over the horizon as they walked through the forest, the first of the sun’s rays trickling through the branches of the trees and down on them. Kilala straggled along behind them, Kagome still sleeping on her back with a dozing Shippo in her arms, and Inuyasha walking at Kilala’s side.  
‘It just makes no sense,’ Sango muttered to Miroku, ‘how can there be two new moons less than a month apart, Kazuya being brought back can’t have that much effect on the world; can it?’ Miroku looked thoughtfully at her for a moment, before shaking his head.  
‘I guess not…but I believe that Sesshomaru might.’  
‘What?’  
‘Why do you think it took him so long to get back to us, he wouldn’t have left Rin with us with Kazuya after us, not unless he had a really good reason.’  
‘So what are you saying he was doing? Trying to find a way to kill Kazuya?’  
‘Exactly, it’s been bugging be for some time, why didn’t Kazuya attack us when Inuyasha was human? Why would he have passed up an opportunity to take us down when we were at our weakest? Unless, he is afraid…’  
‘Of what? The new moon? Human Inuyasha?’  
‘Not exactly... My theory is that there is something more to this than Sesshomaru stated. Did you not notice that he failed to specifically say there was a new moon? I don't believe he knows of Inuyasha's human night, so there must be something _else_ about the day after tomorrow which will affect both Kazuya and Inuyasha, tilting the odds to our advantage... That's why Sesshomaru made inuyasha swear to go at that precise time...'  
  
Sango looked at her feet as she walked, thinking about what he had said, and decided silently that it was true.  
‘But that still doesn’t explain how there is going to be a new moon tomorrow night.’ Miroku looked up at the winding path ahead, as the sunlight became more dazzling through the trees.  
‘I think that…maybe, because Sesshomaru was gone for so long, he has discovered something is about to happen that is beyond our control...something to do with the new moon.’ Sango shifted her Hirakoitsu higher up over her shoulder, trying to think about anything but how tired she was. She looked back at the others, and saw Inuyasha walking with his arm over Kagome’s back to stop her slipping off Kilala; the youkai exterminator smiled, and turned back to face the sunrise with Miroku.  
‘I hope Kagome is going to be okay,’ she muttered to him, ‘lately she hasn’t seemed to catch a break. Why does Kazuya have to be after her?’  
‘I guess because he wants to piss off Inuyasha,’ he joked, stealing a glance back at the doting hanyou.  
  
‘Inuyasha’s being really protective of her now,’ she added.  
‘He’s probably feeling guilty about letting her go, and her getting caught.’  
‘Good, it’s his fault anyway.’  
‘Sango,’ he muttered.  
‘No, she asked him not to leave her, and he still did, after promising he wouldn’t, and she got caught, and…’ she trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence.  
‘Love makes things amazingly complicated Sango,’ he replied, looking fixedly ahead of them, not meeting her eye.  
‘I guess so,’ she agreed, falling silent.  
‘I mean…look at us.’  
‘What?’ she asked, looking up at him.  
‘Come on, it wasn’t that long ago, don’t you even remember?’ Sango didn’t reply, she just flushed a violent red. ‘I asked you if you would marry me after we killed Naraku.’ Sango’s eyes widened.  
‘Of course I remember, I thought you had forgotten about it.’ Miroku smiled at her.  
‘I wouldn’t forget something like that,’ Sango looked away from him, feeling stupid; of course he wouldn’t forget something that important. ‘But I…I asked you then, thinking that my Wind Tunnel would have disappeared after Naraku’s death. And it didn’t, did it?’ his voice was low, and she thought it sounded rather sad and hopeless.  
‘But…that doesn’t mean anything; do you think I care about that?’  
‘No, but I care…’ Sango looked at him in confusion as they walked, him still refusing to meet her eyes. ‘I could never ask you, never expect you to do something like that when I…I don’t want you to fall in love with me, only to have your heart broken if my…my Wind Tunnel will eventually swallow me whole if I can’t rid myself of the curse, and I don’t want you to fall in love with me for that reason.’ Sango looked back at Inuyasha for a moment, making sure he hadn’t heard them, and looked back at the monk.  
‘It’s a little late for that kind of thinking, isn’t it?’ she asked. Miroku didn’t look back at her, or reply, just thought about her reply. _Does that mean…is Sango saying that she…loves me?  
  
_ The time had passed into early morning by the time the trees thinned enough for them to see any way out of the maze of the forest. It was cold, and misty, The Temple of Lost Souls was just visible in the distance straight ahead. The party stopped as they reached the edge of the trees. Inuyasha took off his kimono, laying it over the sleeping Kagome, and stood beside Miroku and Sango.  
‘There it is, it would take us less than a day to get there if we walked straight on,’ the two looked to him. ‘But we have to keep out of sight until the _new moon_ , so we’ll follow the edge of the forest all the way round,’ he pointed to where the edge of the forest curved round the temple, ‘then we should be there by tomorrow morning, and we can rest until dark.’ They agreed, though they couldn’t deny that they wanted to rest now as well, they were so tired.  


***

Kazuya traced his spindly, clawed fingers lightly over the runes on the wall, the firelight flickering over him, casting a deformed shadow across the wall, which seemed to move of its own accord.  
‘Umm…my - my Lord?’ Kazuya sneered, and turned to face the snivelling servant at his side. ‘There have been no sightings of Inuyasha and the others in the mirror,’ he muttered with a low bow.  
‘Damn, something, some sort of magic must be protecting them,’ said Kazuya, more to himself than Nikaido. ‘Are you completely incompetent you filthy snivelling worm? Remind me again why I haven’t killed you?’  
‘P-p-p-p-p-please S-s-sir, you said you r-r-required my help,’ he stammered, fear flashing in the quivering grey orbs.  
‘Help?’ muttered the demon, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples with his fingertips as if he had a migraine. ‘What can you help me with? Insolent creeping wretch!’ Nikaido bowed lower, sensing his master’s temper.  
‘Please Sir, I-I-I have d-d-discovered something in the alignment.’ Kazuya turned to look at him, suddenly interested now.  
‘And that is?’ Nikaido looked fixedly at the ground, before daring to speak.  
‘It seems s-s-sir, that the moon’s path is...acting strange...if it doesn't steer off it's current course, it will pass the sun.’  
  
The crimson orbs of Kazuya’s eyes shimmered, temporarily showing fear, and then panic.  
‘No, there can’t be, if he comes here during the eclipse he will…’  
‘Begging your most humble pardons Sir, but if - as the runes read - an eclipse occurs, the half-demon Inuyasha will become human, and will surely avoid you if he is-’  
‘-No!’ interrupted Kazuya, looking thoughtfully at the ground, ‘Sesshomaru knew about the eclipse, I know that, and he has - a brief idea of why Inuyasha must not cross my path at that time. He was working alongside Inuyasha in the battle, I thought I had killed that damn demon, but I sensed his presence again, after Inuyasha took Kagome from me. Inuyasha knows to come here during the night where the moon crosses the sun…’ Kazuya stood before Nikaido, silent, and thoughtful for a moment, before roaring in anger, and punching the wall sharply with his fist. ‘DAMN IT!’ he screamed, as his bleeding knuckles healed instantly. ‘I am immortal! I am all-powerful, a stupid insignificant half demon shouldn’t pose such a big threat to me, so why this one?’  
‘Please sir, not that it matters, but…the demon Inuyasha has faced innumerable great warriors, demons and creatures that have posed enormous threats to this world, and he has killed every one of them.’  
  
Nikaido flinched as his master looked up at him, his crimson eyes staring ominously. The demon stepped slowly towards him, and he swallowed hard.  
‘Are you saying, Nikaido, that I will fail?’ Nikaido shuddered as his master held him up by his throat, his claws digging into his neck, and he shook his head.  
‘N-n-n-no! No Sir!’ he choked as the claws dug in deeper.  
‘Good, because if I go Nikaido, you go with me, understand, Inuyasha will kill you for serving me, got it?’ Nikaido nodded again, and his master dropped him to the ground. ‘Get to your feet!’ he ordered, and the snivelling coward at his feet leapt up. ‘Now to think…how can I possibly fix this?’ muttered Kazuya to himself, pacing a circle around his servant. Nikaido shuddered, and looked up at the ceiling as he spoke nervously.  
‘Please Sir, I - I have an idea.’ Kazuya grinned evilly as he stopped his pacing, and looked at him curiously. ‘We may not be able to stop Inuyasha from coming here, but his arrival doesn’t mean the end. We - that is you, could summon the power of the Sages, and resurrect lost ghosts of _The Glass_.’  
  
Kazuya looked at him as if he were crazy for a moment. Before his pale, lifeless face eventually broke into a slow, grimace, and his insane, evil laughter filled the temple. Nikaido tried not to shiver, though he could not help it, even when his master stopped laughing. Kazuya strutted past the cowardly Nikaido, and stopped before the black waters of the mirror. He looked into its depths, and flickered his eyes towards the torch on the wall, burning a blue flame, sending it flying into the Black Mirror’s depths. Just as it was when he was resurrected, the fire spilt over the surface like fire on oil. Kazuya raised his arms out either side of him, causing Nikaido to be paralysed with fear as ancient, foreign words were uttered from Kazuya’s mouth, echoing throughout the temple. Nikaido struggled to interpret the words, but all he got was random words that he could understand something about powers, and the sun, the moon and the dead. Suddenly the thousand upon thousands of the firefly looking spirits from the Glass Path materialised amongst the flames, and shimmered there for a moment, the fire roaring about them. Kazuya grinned evilly, but Nikaido far from grinning, as he watched in terror, the spirits slowly changing, mutilating, morphing into totally new forms. Nikaido’s grey eyes widened in fear at the new shapes, as they became more distinct, and they walked out of the roaring sapphire flames, bowing down before their master, Kazuya.  


***

Sango shot up, waking with a start. She didn’t know if what she had seen was real, or a dream, all she saw now was the others sitting idly round the fire in one way or another. Shippo and Kilala were curled up close to the fire, Miroku was close beside herself, trying not to nod off, and opposite her, across the fire Kagome sat, Inuyasha bandaging her wrists once more. Kagome looked over at Sango and smiled at her; Sango, who was somehow out of breath, tried to smile back, though found it near impossible.  
‘Sango?’ asked Kagome, ‘are you okay?’ Sango swallowed hard, trying to steady her breathing, and nodded her reply.  
‘Are you sure?’ asked Inuyasha, not really looking at her, ‘you look like crap.’  
‘Thanks Inuyasha,’ she replied, looking through the trees where they sat, and out across the horizon. The ominous shadow of the Temple of Lost Souls sat not far off; they had reached the edge of the forest where they needed to be, it had taken them a little longer than expected to get there, and there were only a few hours until the _new moon._  
  
Sango sighed as her breathing stabilised, and she got steadily to her feet. Miroku and the others looked up to her in confusion.  
‘Where are you going?’ asked a sleepy Shippo, his eyes only half open.  
‘I just…I need to…be back in a moment,’ she turned and walked further into the forest, making Inuyasha shrug slightly, continuing tightening the bandages. Miroku watched her go, and Shippo smiled evilly at him.  
‘Maybe you should go after her Miroku,’ suggested the kitsune, making Miroku look to him. ‘But no funny business, go it?’ Miroku smiled back, and got to his feet, following Sango’s footsteps.  
‘Do you think that was such a good idea?’ Kagome asked Inuyasha. Inuyasha shrugged again. ‘I think that Sango might have wanted to be alone at the moment.’  
‘Good, those guys always mess with me all the time; it’s time they got some of their own medicine.’  
‘Inuyasha,’ she sighed.  
‘What?’  


***

Miroku followed Sango only a little way away from Kagome, Inuyasha and the others. She dropped down beside the radiant stream that flowed silently through the forest, and he watched her as she gazed at her reflection for a moment, before she cupped some of the water in her hands, and splashed it over her face. Miroku smiled slightly, and knelt down at her side.  
‘So, you going to let me know what’s wrong or…?’ Sango didn’t look up at him; she just continued to gaze at her reflection, not moving.  
‘Nothing really, I just…I had this dream, or maybe it wasn’t a dream…Kohaku was there, and you, and everybody…I don’t really remember much about it now but, I just know it was really terrible, and I lost you all.’ Miroku placed his hand on her shoulder, and smiled at her.  
‘It’s just Kazuya; he is a fear demon, naturally when we’re this close to him our dreams will be affected by him.’  
  
Sango pulled away from his hand slightly, still not looking at him.  
‘I just think that, we’re sitting on the threshold to fear right now, and I can’t help but think that somehow…there’s this feeling at the pit of my stomach…’  
‘Yeah well, I don’t exactly know what was in that food we just had but it wasn’t that-’  
‘-No,’ she interrupted, ‘I don’t feel sick, or maybe I do…all I know is that I have this feeling, that something is going to happen when we go in there, and we’re not all going to come back out.’ She looked up at him now, and he was shocked slightly to see fear in her brown eyes.  
  
Now Miroku thought about it, he could feel the same ominous feeling inside him, which entering the temple would mean that some of them might not come out. ‘The odds are pretty much against us right now, aren’t they?’  
‘I know what you mean, Sango, I really do, but…the odds are always against us, we can be outnumbered fifty to one and we have always won.’  
‘But almost always at a price,’ she replied.  
‘Yes, but though it may not seem like it to us, in the long run, the prices we pay, the things we have to sacrifice, they’re worth it.’ Sango looked back at her reflection for a moment, and Miroku knew she was thinking about Kohaku when she had spoken about prices.  
‘Is it so hard…is it too much to ask to be able to keep something good? With all the good we do for this damn world! When was the last time we got repaid for everything we have done, everything we’ve had to give up?’  
‘That’s not how it works.’  
‘I know, I know I just…it seems so unfair…’  
Miroku slid his hand over hers, and he smiled at her once more.  
‘It is unfair, the world can be unfair, but that’s what we’re fighting for, and you can’t tell me you don’t think it’s worth it, can you?’ Sango looked as though she might say no for a moment.  
‘I guess that, sometimes I think that it’s not, and then I realise what I still have, as opposed to what I’ve lost and I realise that there is still something left worth fighting for.’ Miroku stood up slowly, Sango drawing to her feet beside him. ‘But what if…what if you die in there, or Kagome, or Inuyasha or-’  
‘-Hey,’ he interrupted, ‘life is far too short to stand about and keep saying: “ _what if, what if_ ,” stop thinking how terrible life might turn out and don’t be afraid to live it, okay?’ Sango smiled, and nodded. They turned, starting to walk back towards Inuyasha and the others, when suddenly Miroku stopped.  
‘What is it?’ asked Sango nervously.  
‘Can’t you…didn’t you hear that?’ she stopped, listening, her eyes meeting Miroku’s as she heard it too, ‘Inuyasha!’  


***

Kagome winced as Inuyasha tightened the last bandage into place, and sat back on the ground beside her, staring pensively up at the sky through the treetops.  
‘Where the hell are they?’ he thought out loud, ‘the sun is going to set soon, we need to be going.’ Kagome sighed, lying back on the grass, ignoring him.  
‘Why are you in such a hurry? It’s only just sunset,’ she muttered to him. He turned to her, wearing a bemused look on his face.  
‘You know why, why are you being such a-’ he stopped, thinking better of what he was about to call her. ‘What’s up with you tonight?’ Kagome shrugged, not tearing her eyes from the sunset. ‘You’re acting really…are you okay?’ She made no reply, no gesture that she had even acknowledged his question. ‘Alright you’re pissed at me, what did I do now?’ he demanded of her, but still no reply.  
  
Inuyasha sighed, his face scrunched with concentration, trying to think of a reason she could be angry. ‘Is it because of what happened before Sango and the others came?’ no reply. ‘Take that as a _yes_. Hey listen, if I offended you in some way…or was it - I know I crossed a line, _touching_ you and all, but I was trying to help you. And you didn’t seem angry back there - Damn it Kagome will you say something!’ He grabbed her shoulder roughly, turning her to face him. She stared at him, or rather through him, as if he wasn’t even there, as if she were sitting alone on the grass. ‘Kagome?’ he asked, though she still did not reply, _I must have really annoyed her; she isn’t even looking at me…wait a second!_ His eyes widened then at his horrific realisation, her eyes - they weren’t normal.  
  
The brightness in the hazel of her eyes, usually glistening with life were not the same anymore. Inuyasha’s breath caught in his throat as he looked into her dull, lifeless hazel eyes, hoping beyond hope that there was some mistake, hoping it was some trick of the light. Without really thinking what he was doing, he grabbed her roughly by the chin, turning her face to the light slightly, and his heart sank, it wasn’t a mistake, even as the fast disappearing sunlight silhouetted her smooth face, her eyes were as dull as ever, not even a reflection of the light within them, as if they were somehow otherworldly. _But she’s not dead,_ he thought, and he was right, she was still breathing, and she was sitting perfectly still beside him.  
  
Suddenly as the light flickered into her dead eyes, she flinched, pulling sharply out of his grip, and retreated slightly from him, all as fast as ever he had seen her move. ‘Kagome?’ he asked, hopefully, crawling towards her slowly, only to see her lift her head slightly, so that her eyes and nose were visible above her arm which she had held over her face as she shrivelled into a heap on the ground. His hopefulness evaporated, her eyes were still blank, and showed no pupil. Inuyasha sat her up again, and once again her body posed the way he sat her with relative ease, like a puppet. Inuyasha’s eyes widened even further as he watched her recoil from the sunlight once more as it struck her eyes, and she curled up into a shivering bundle at his side.  
  
Inuyasha was beyond confused. _Why does she shrink from the light? Unless she’s possessed, but that makes no sense, she would have attacked by now._ Inuyasha shot up as he realised that Kagome was no longer at his side; he scanned the camp, and saw her making her slow way out of the camp and towards the temple. He leapt after her, and grabbed her roughly, turning her to face him. ‘I know that you’re not Kagome, but I know she’s in there somewhere, and you ain’t taking her body anywhere near that place, understand?’ Inuyasha watched her pale, expressionless face, expecting some form of reaction, waiting in silence.  
  
Suddenly Kagome lifted her hand, and slapped him hard across the face, knocking him off balance. Inuyasha was surprised that he needed to wipe a trickle of blood from his mouth, ‘Okay, I know Kagome well enough to know that she couldn’t hit that hard, and even if she could, she’d never draw blood. What the hell are you?’ he asked Kagome, getting steadily to his feet. He thought he saw a flicker of a cruel smile on her face as she watched him, before she reached behind her back, pulling a scared arrow from a quiver, which Inuyasha had only just noticed was there. ‘Wh-where did you get that from?’ he asked her shakily as she put the arrow to a bow that until now, had also been invisible to him. Inuyasha gulped, as she held the bowstring taught with the arrow. ‘Kagome wait!’ he shouted, but too late. The arrow sped through the air, the fuchsia energy flying towards him. Inuyasha winced as it skimmed his cheek, leaving a great gash behind, and taking a few strands of silver hair with his blood as it stuck in a tree behind him. Inuyasha turned to look at it in surprise as it hit the bark, only to see to his horror, that as the fuchsia light faded, a blackness spread over the bark from the arrow, the bark, the leaves, the roots, the tree was dead. ‘But…sacred arrows aren’t supposed to do that?’ he questioned Kagome, turning to face her, but something in her face told him that those were not sacred arrows.  
  
Inuyasha leapt up to avoid another arrow, stopping quickly and hurtling to the ground as one skimmed over the top of his head. An arrow stuck in the ground by his foot, barely millimetres away from it, and he rolled over sideways to avoid the following arrow. Dirt flew up from the ground as he skidded in a misshapen zigzag pattern, trying to avoid the attacks. Suddenly he had wound his way to her side, but instead of shooting him, she punched him in the face, sending him flying backwards. Inuyasha skidded to a halt, not far from Shippo and Kilala who had just awoken, and had no idea what was going on. Inuyasha watched the fuchsia light hurtle towards the two. ‘KILALA, SHIPPO RUN! IT ISN’T KAGOME!’ they leapt in opposite directions, safely evading the attack and the impostor Kagome nearly smirked as she turned her attention back towards Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha jumped forwards, landing before Kagome. ‘Listen, stop this now!’ Kagome punched him again, though only winding him, and this time he snarled nastily at her. ‘You bitch will you listen! I don’t want to hurt-’ he stopped as she punched him again. Inuyasha wiped the blood from his nose, growling savagely at her once more, and before even thinking, he punched her back in the stomach. She skidded backwards on her feet, blood dripping from her mouth. Inuyasha’s eyes widened at the blood, and not realising she still wasn’t Kagome, ran forward and pulled her into a hug. ‘Kagome I’m sorry! I didn’t want to hit you - please forgive me!’ Inuyasha was reminded painfully then that she was not Kagome, as she kicked him hard in the stomach. ‘You fucking little whore!’ he shouted, turning her sharply, and pulling his arms round her throat, choking her. ‘Get out of her you hear me!’  
‘Inuyasha stop it!’ pleaded Shippo as he and Kilala recovered from their escape and realised what was happening.  
‘I SAID GET OUT!’ Kagome wheezed slightly, and Inuyasha realised whether the thing was Kagome or not, it had her body, and was about to let go, before she held his arms there, sinking her teeth into his flesh. Inuyasha screamed trying to pull away but finding himself unable to. ‘Bitch! Let go!’ Inuyasha tightened his hold on her windpipe again, and her teeth let go of him, but Inuyasha did not let go.  
‘Inuyasha stop!’ shouted the kitsune, hearing the violent wheezing from Kagome as she struggled to breathe.  
  
Kagome threw her head backwards, smacking him in the face. Inuyasha screamed in pain as more crimson blood poured from his nose. He knocked her to the ground and pinned her to there, his clawed hands on her throat once more. ‘GET OUT OF HER!’  
‘INUYASHA STOP!’ Kilala and Shippo leapt towards him, pleading him to let her go. To their horror, the purple marks grew across his cheeks, and his pupils disappeared amongst the blazing redness of his full demon iris.  
‘You don’t know Shippo, she’s not Kagome!’ he growled, the real Inuyasha still not fully lost yet. ‘There’s something in her, and I’m gonna make it come out!’  
‘But she’ll be killed, Kagome is still in there and she can’t breathe!’  
‘Silence you wretched kitsune!’ he snarled, one clawed hand momentarily leaving Kagome's throat, and sending Shippo flying into Kilala.  
  
The full demon Inuyasha was taking control, and as the pupils re-emerged, but now a frightening shade of dark green, his hold on the trembling girl’s throat tightened, even as the brightness and life returned to her eyes.  
‘Inu…yasha…’ she gasped as she regained the control of her body. ‘Inuyasha, it’s-’ She choked on her words as he tightened his grip even more, not allowing her to speak. Kagome ran her fingers up his arms, digging her nails hard into his skin, but this only heightened his ferocity, making him bash her head against the ground, and she winced. Kagome grabbed his kimono, and with all the strength she could muster, pulled him forcibly down towards her, pressing her lips against his. Kagome knew this would work, it had before; this was her only hope. She gasped in shock and pain as he pulled back, snarling at her even more, and as he did his fang scratched her lip, making it bleed terribly. ‘But Inuyasha…’ she choked, ‘I…l-l-love…’ he pushed down as hard as he could on her throat, and Kagome closed her eyes in pain, she was sure her neck would snap any moment now.  
  
The demon Inuyasha howled as a fully transformed Kilala sank her teeth into his shoulder, Inuyasha released Kagome slightly, and she pushed his arms away, pulling her own tightly round him, hugging him fiercely. Inuyasha was still at Kilala’s mercy, and he did nothing but snarl at Kagome’s affections. She took his hand in her own, and nuzzled it against her cheek, taking one of his clawed fingertips and running it over the nasty, bleeding cut on her lip. ‘Inuyasha, I know you’re in there somewhere,’ he snarled again, making her recoil slightly, but not move or release him. ‘You did this to me,’ she whispered to him, as his finger paced over the blood dripping out of the cut on her lip. Kagome closed her eyes as his still remained as red as ever, she had no hope left, he was stuck in his demon form.  
‘I’m - I’m sorry,’ she opened her eyes again hastily as she heard it. His eyes were a paler red, and the marks on his face were faded slightly, the real Inuyasha was not back, he was just there for one split second. ‘I don’t - I never wanted to-’ He leant down, taking back control of his body for that moment, though still under the attack of Kilala as well as his demon side. Inuyasha closed his eyes, nuzzling his face close to Kagome’s.  
  
Kagome watched as the sun descended even further. _The sun, if it crosses the moon and Inuyasha is still in control of his body, he will be human._ Even at these thoughts, Inuyasha jerked slightly, his demon side trying to take back control of him. Kagome looked desperately up at him, just a few more seconds and they’d be safe.  
‘Kilala let go of him!’ she screamed, the cat demon did not move, knowing she was the only thing stopping Inuyasha from ripping out Kagome’s throat right now, she couldn’t see Inuyasha fighting it, she couldn’t see his eyes flittering from red to gold rapidly, back and forth. ‘Kilala do it!’ Kilala reluctantly released him, only to see that Inuyasha and Kagome remained much as they were, Inuyasha was still fighting. Kagome stood on tiptoes, nuzzling against him once more, catching the real Inuyasha for a brief moment. ‘Inuyasha…’ she muttered, her eyes closed.  
‘Ka-Kagome…’ he replied hoarsely, the demon side overtaking him slightly more with each second.  
‘Kiss me…’ Inuyasha, not fully himself, or fully demon, met her movements halfway, and pressed his lips softly against hers.  
  
  
TBC


	16. Fighting for Forever

_Fighting For Forever  
Sixteen  
  
  
_ A violently bright light surrounded them both, and Kilala and Shippo closed their eyes as it enfolded their friends. Kagome whimpered, and she felt something change about Inuyasha’s kiss suddenly, and she felt him pull her closer against him. Their embrace seemed to hold longer than it was meant to, Kagome felt Inuyasha’s hand brush against hers, and then she realised, it had no claws. Kagome reluctantly, slowly pulled away, opening her eyes as she did so, finding herself lost in the deep brown eyes of the human Inuyasha. Kagome looked at him contently, completely lost for a moment, until he ran his fingers softly over her injured bottom lip, making her recoil slightly.  
‘Sorry,’ he muttered huskily, ‘that was me as well wasn’t it?’  
‘As well as what?’ she asked quietly, not fully able to speak properly without her voice shaking, her throat still hurt.  
‘This,’ said Inuyasha, stroking the bruised flesh of her throat. ‘I’m - I know it doesn’t mean anything, but I didn’t mean to do it.  
  
‘I know I was me when I started it but…I would never have let it go that far if I had control; I was just trying to get it out of you.’ Kagome did not reply, she was too wrapped up in her own guilt.  
‘But I…’ she whispered, this being the highest volume she could manage at the moment. ‘I bit you…and shot at you…and this,’ she added, running her fingers over the punctures in his wrists where her nails had dug in.  
‘But that wasn’t you, it was a demon,’ he argued hastily.  
‘Hey…’ she muttered, 'if you don’t accept my apology, I won’t accept yours.’ He watched her a moment, and then smiled slightly.  
‘Fine, but I-’ he broke off as he winced, clutching his bleeding shoulder, and fell forward into Kagome’s arms.  
‘Inuyasha!’ she whispered in terror, collapsing with him into the grass. She was relieved to see his eyes flutter open.  
‘I’m fine, the wounds got a chance to heal before I changed back, but it still-’ he flinched again as he sat up beside her, and Kilala looked apologetically up at him with wide red eyes. ‘It’s not your fault; you did good,’ he told the cat demon, ‘thanks for having the courage to do that. Otherwise Kagome might…’ he trailed off, not wanting to admit that he could’ve killed Kagome.  
  
Kagome bandaged his shoulder and arm, while Shippo and Kilala sat beside them, and she knew Inuyasha was not taking his eyes off the bruising around her neck. Suddenly Shippo let out a great shriek, making the others jump.  
‘Inuyasha what’s happened to your face?’  
‘My face?’ asked Inuyasha, running hands all over his face. Kagome pulled his arms down, examining his skin, and Inuyasha watched her eyes widen. ‘What? What’s wrong with me?’ he asked warily. He flinched as Kagome ran her fingers over the gash in his cheek that she had created with the arrow. Inuyasha ran his fingers over it, and he realised there was some disgusting scaly skin forming over the top of it, not natural healing, but something else. ‘What the hell is happening? Why is my face scaly?’  
‘The arrow,’ Kagome replied quietly, ‘I shot you with one of those deadening arrows.’  
‘What? What the hell does that mean?’ he asked hastily, not at all liking the sound of what was happening.  
‘Your body is trying to heal that wound, but it…it’s been struck with one of those arrows, and that mean that dead skin is growing over it.  
‘Ewww, that’s disgusting! Dead skin can’t grow!’  
‘Well dead priestesses are supposed to not breathe, and demons aren’t supposed to exist either,’ she whispered, a little impatiently. Inuyasha realised that was a silly thing to say, with all the things they’d seen, this seemed pretty normal.  
  
Just then, a breathless Miroku and Sango skidded into camp, their weapons out, seeming a little shocked not to find a violent battle.  
‘Wha-where’s the danger?’ asked Miroku, gasping slightly, as Sango collapsed at Kagome’s side, drinking from one of the skins.  
‘Danger?’ asked Inuyasha teasingly, ‘what danger?’  
‘The - the thing? We heard screaming,’ he whimpered.  
‘Oh, well then the danger is right over there,’ muttered Shippo, pointing to Kagome and Inuyasha. This caused Miroku to look very confused. ‘Kagome attacked Inuyasha, Inuyasha attacked Kagome, Kagome attacked us, Inuyasha attacked her again, and then they…’ he trailed off, making teasing kissing expressions behind Inuyasha’s back so that he and Kagome couldn’t see. Inuyasha seemed to realise though and got to his feet rather uncomfortably.  
  
‘Yeah whatever, anyway,’ he stopped to throw a threatening glare at Miroku as he showed signs of giggling. ‘I’m human; it’s the night with no moon, so let’s go.’  
‘What? But you’re wounded, I’m tired, can’t we go home and let Sesshomaru do it?’ whined Miroku as he and the others got to their feet.  
‘I have no doubt that Sesshomaru will leave the rest up us; he must have gone through a lot of trouble to get a new moon again for tonight.’ Miroku whined again.  
‘Do we have to?’  
‘YES!’ shouted Sango, dragging him onwards, Kilala and Shippo close behind them, Inuyasha followed, but Kagome stopped him for a moment, placing her hand on his uninjured shoulder.  
‘What is it Kagome?’ he asked, turning to face her. Kagome looked up awkwardly at him.  
‘Well I just…I think that…’ she did not say anything more, just stood up on tiptoes once more, and planted a soft kiss on his wounded cheek. Inuyasha flushed violently.  
‘What - what was that for?’ he stammered in embarrassment. Kagome flushed also, sinking back onto her heels, and to her normal level.  
‘Thank you.’  
‘For what?’ he asked nervously.  
‘For…the kiss,’ she replied, running after the others to avoid more embarrassment. Inuyasha flushed a dark crimson as she sped off, and hastily followed, trying to forget about what Kagome had just said and done, to get rid of his blush, unaware that Kagome’s kiss, had healed the scales beginning to form on the gash on his cheek, and the wound was gone.  
  
The sky seemed to darken as they approached the temple, as if there were a mass of dark storm clouds above it, and Inuyasha was sure that even if there had been a moon, it still would not have made much difference, that no amount of natural light could penetrate this darkness. They all bunched together, Shippo on his shoulder, Kilala in Sango’s arms, and he, Sango, Miroku and Kagome walking close together; Inuyasha even felt Kagome slip her hand into his once or twice, and after the kisses he had received off her today, he found himself wondering if it was because of fear or something else, though he quickly put any of these thoughts out of his mind as soon as they began to make him blush. As they reached the steps leading up to the temple, they stood and watched the entrance hesitantly, remembering this as the first place they had seen Kazuya.  
  
Inuyasha thought, as he looked around at the faces of his companions, that it must have looked as though they were not going to enter, but merely run back the way they had came, and in fact even he felt like doing this right now, as the gloomy, ominous shape of the temple loomed ahead of them. Just as he thought this, a cold, miserable feeling loomed around them, and Inuyasha turned, facing mounds of the same, misty, eerie vapour tumbling from the sky, and slithering through the air behind them. The others turned too, eyes widening as they saw the mist. Inuyasha side glanced to Kagome, who hated the mist more than any of them, and she had gone deadly white, looking rather like she was going to vomit. Inuyasha squeezed her hand reassuringly, and turned back to face the steps.  
‘I think…I think that the mist is just there, to make sure we won’t go back, not to hurt us. I think…that it is just there to make us go onwards.’ He tried to make this sound encouraging, though all it managed to do was make them all realise it was definitely a trap.  
  
The others faced the stairs too, a breath not seeming to pass through them for that moment; they stood still and silent, waiting for someone to make the first move.  
‘I’ll go first,’ muttered Sango, taking a deep breath.  
‘What?’ asked Miroku.  
‘I…want to go first,’ the others didn’t know what to do, but they didn’t argue. She stepped forward, suddenly turning to face them as she touched the first step. ‘But I don’t want Miroku behind me, the temptation to grab my butt, mixed with the overwhelming fear might turn him against me,’ Miroku made a little nervous laugh, and Inuyasha gestured Kagome onto the stairs behind Sango, not wanting Miroku near her behind anymore than Sango’s, and stepping on behind her (fairly confident Miroku wouldn't grab _his_ butt, unless _truly_ desperate), Shippo shaking from fear on his shoulder. Miroku followed Inuyasha, not liking being last either, as the fog billowed threateningly behind him any time he looked back.  
  
As Sango reached the platform before the doorway at the top of the stairs, waiting for the others to catch up, Kagome stopped so suddenly that Inuyasha and Miroku nearly bumped into her. She stood as far from the entrance as she could. Yet Inuyasha nudged her forwards as the fog closed in behind them, stopping inches from them, and looming in the air where the stairs began just at Kagome’s heels, making sure they could not go back. Kagome huddled close to Inuyasha, who pulled his arm round her slightly; Miroku edged round them to Sango’s side, and stared into the darkness that was the entrance.  
‘There are no torches in there, it’s completely dark,’ he told the others, though they could see very well for themselves.  
‘Right then,’ said Inuyasha, drawing Tetsusaiga from its sheath, and holding it before him, still holding Kagome close to him, ‘me first with Kagome and Shippo, and Miroku, Sango and Kilala next.’ Kagome and Shippo whimpered slightly at going first, though showed no other complaint. Miroku, Sango and Kilala nodded in agreement, and Inuyasha and Kagome walked in first, Shippo still clinging to Inuyasha’s shoulder. Kagome trembled slightly as they neared the threshold of the darkness, and Inuyasha whispered in her ear. ‘Don’t worry; I won’t let you go this time.’ Kagome nodded slightly, and they stepped into the darkness.  
  
Sango and the others stepped in almost immediately afterwards, not wanting to leave a large gap between them, just in case. The dark was icy cold; the only thing that could be seen was the thick vapour that came from their mouths as they breathed out, the air was so cold.  
‘I can’t see a thing,’ muttered Kagome.’  
‘Me neither,’ whispered Inuyasha, but we’d better keep quiet, just-’  
‘MIROKU YOU PERVERT! YOU CALL YOURSELF A MONK! DOES THE VOW OF CELIBACY MEAN NOTHING TO YOU, YOU PHILANDERING-’ a mix of curses came out of the youkai exterminator’s mouth, all very loud, echoing round the cave, followed by: ‘HOW CAN YOU THINK OF THAT AT A TIME LIKE THIS?’ Inuyasha turned, pulling his hand over Sango’s mouth after a wild attempt at finding it, which earned him a slap, and her voice drowned out.  
‘Will you please keep fucking quiet!’ whispered Inuyasha angrily. Taking hold of Kagome’s hand, going to walk on, but stopping suddenly, the others too, they had heard something. The silence echoed round them as they listened hard, trying desperately to hear it again, although not really wanting to, that sound meant they weren’t hearing things, that sound meant that they had company.  
  
A soft drip, drip, drip of water hit the ground of the tunnel, but that wasn’t the sound. What they had all heard came in between the drips in a rhythmic pattern, a slight whisper of a noise that they had to strain to hear, though was becoming steadily louder. The crunch, crunch, crunch sound of the stones underfoot was growing louder, and frequently there was a random screech of some terrible creatures they knew not the like of, only to be silence after by a rough, rasping voice, in a harsh, ancient tongue. Inuyasha pushed Shippo into Kagome’s arms, and with a fiery crackling behind him he guessed Kilala had transformed, ready for battle. Though the cave was not all that big, and it seemed barely to admit the fully sized Kilala’s entrance, she’d have to be careful not to hurt her friends in the process of helping them.  
  
Inuyasha turned, walking to the others’ side, and placing Kagome’s hand on Kilala’s back. ‘Kilala, take care of Kagome and Shippo, don’t fight unless they come near you, we don’t want you getting one of us by mistake,’ Kilala nodded, though he could not see her very well, except for her wide, red eyes glowing in the darkness like a typical cat’s eyes, making her look especially creepy.  
'But Inuyasha,' Kagome started, 'I can-'  
'This darkness kinda puts archery out of it, don't ya agree?' he asked her, cutting her off. She seemed to agree deep down, as she silenced. Inuyasha found his way beside Miroku and Sango, and they carefully formed a line before Kilala and the others. ‘Sango, I think Hirakoitsu is out of the question, can you-’  
‘No need to ask, it’s obvious we have to have hand to hand here, Hirakoitsu is too dangerous in the dark.’ Inuyasha watched the darkness, the sound growing louder and louder, the sudden shriek almost deafening him as it echoed round the tunnel, when all of a sudden it fell silent…they were here.  
  
A long, foreboding silence fell over the passage, the creatures had found them, were probably, (whatever they were), readying themselves for battle, or maybe, and most likely leaving their prey to stew a while, building up the tension in the air as the fear grew. Suddenly without warning, an army of terrifying screeches filled the air, and the creatures, leapt towards them. Inuyasha and Miroku were immediately buried under hordes of demons, but Sango, who was at the side, was merely knocked to the ground, and a demon tripped over he body, pushing her back down again as she scrambled to her feet, and she smashed her head into a particularly sharp rock on the ground, and moved no more.  
  
Kagome clung to Kilala tightly as the screams filled the air, holding Shippo tight, as Inuyasha and Miroku held up the line, unknowing that Sango was not fighting alongside them. Miroku swiped through the air blindly as he got to his feet, nearly smacking Inuyasha as he did so. The two worked back to back so they couldn’t hit each other, though merely assumed Sango had headed further into the masses as she sometimes did, so was nowhere near them. Inuyasha yelped as a creature sliced him across the cheek, and Kagome panicked as she heard it.  
‘Inuyasha!’ she yelled, leaping up and staring wildly around at the darkness.  
‘I’m fine! Stay put!’ he yelled back, smacking the demon back for his injury. However, a demon, being able to see in the dark saw Kagome leap out from behind Kilala, and with an evil grimace, took out his bow as he watched her carefully. Kagome listened hard in the darkness, and somehow, whether it was her priestess abilities inherited for Kikyo or something else, she heard the familiar sound of a bowstring being pulled, and she had an idea. She pulled her bow from her shoulder, and put an arrow to it as fast as she could. ‘Let there be light,’ she yelled, and the arrow shot from the bow. The arrow shot like lightening through the passage, striking the stone wall, a bright fuchsia filling the passage, allowing her companions to see, and allowing Kagome to see Sango crumpled on the ground. Inuyasha turned just in time to see the archer demon setting Kagome in his sights, and even as two demons pushed him to the ground, he swivelled round with his hand on the ground, kicking the demon in the legs. As the demon fell, Inuyasha caught its neck between his feet, and snapped his neck nastily, before being overpowered with the demons on top of him.  
  
Kagome left Shippo on Kilala’s back, and ran to Sango’s side, just as a demon made to decapitate her with a large scythe. Kagome pulled back the bowstring, letting another arrow fly into the demon’s path, striking it in its throat, so it fell to the floor, dead. Kagome dropped at Sango’s’ side, tears pouring as fast as the blood pouring from Sango’s temple. Kagome pulled the girl, almost a sister to her into her arms, and hugged her lifeless body tight. ‘Sango no!’ she whimpered, her voice scratching at her throat like a razor from where Inuyasha had attempted to strangle her earlier, but the grief was so overwhelming, she didn’t care. Inuyasha was buried under a horde of demons, and Miroku leapt at them trying to pull them off him, but more grabbed him, pulling his arms behind his back, and then he saw Kagome and Sango, and tears fell from his eyes.  
‘Sango? SANGO!’ he screamed, only to be smothered with demons and beaten to the ground, lost amongst them just as Inuyasha was.  
  
Kilala leapt in to help her friends despite her orders, only to have the demons throw ropes over her back, flattening her to the ground, as they yanked Shippo off her back. Kagome looked up from Sango’s body, to the battle scene. Miroku and Inuyasha were lost amongst demons, Kilala was small once more, and she and Shippo were being chained up by snarling demons. She cried even harder as she realised, they were defeated, and they had no hope left. She would have given anything for help, even Kikyo would have made her feel better by being here, though she had no idea where the woman she loathed was, she realised at last, that Kikyo was better than her at everything, and that if it were her here instead of Kagome, she would be stronger than her, and they would not have failed.  
  
Suddenly, just as they fuchsia light faded from Kagome’s arrow at last, the torches burst into life, burning bright sapphire flames, and lighting the tunnel up once more. Kagome buried her face in Sango’s hair, crying harder than ever, as the demons pulled the defeated Inuyasha and Miroku to their feet, clasping them viciously while Shippo and Kilala were moved beside them. Kagome struggled as they tried to pull her to her feet, but she clung to Sango’s body, she wasn’t going to let them touch her, it was enough that she was dead, without them dragging her corpse through the passage, no one deserved that. Kagome turned, pulling an arrow from her quiver and stabbing it in the demon’s belly that grabbed her, making the others angrier. They grabbed her wrists and tried to pull them away from Sango, though she wouldn’t let go, and then yanked her up, twisting her wrists painfully. She thought they were going to break.  
  
‘ _STOP_!’ shouted a foreign, voice, so that only the creatures understood it. They halted instantly, letting Kagome drop. Kagome held Sango close to her, eyeing what appeared to be the most important demon, (certainly less ugly than the rest) with up most hatred. ‘ _She is not to be harmed understand? Kazuya will have your heads and mine if she is spoiled!!’_ the disgusting, snarling of the speech made Kagome shudder especially when the demon took hold of her chin and tilted her face to the light, nearing her face revoltingly. Inuyasha watched the demon grin evilly, and he roared with anger, trying to wrench himself from his captor’s grip. The demon watched the trickle of blood that dripped from the scratch on her cheek where the demon’s had attacked her carefully, still holding her face to the light. Kagome stared him down, not allowing him to see how very scared she was, even if she was shaking with fear, and she still held Sango close to her. ‘ _She has sweet blood, it smells delicious,’_ he growled, making the other demons shriek with laughter, and Kagome shivered. ‘ _Fear smells good on you, Priestess,’_ he said to Kagome, though she had no idea what she said.  
  
Without warning, and to Kagome’s uttermost revulsion, the demon turned her face slightly, so that her bleeding cheek was in the light, and licked her blood. Inuyasha tried to pull himself forward to help her, and the others turned away, feeling rather sick. Kagome pulled out of his grip, and slapped him round the face, pulling another arrow from her quiver and stabbing him in the stomach with it, all in the same moment. The demon grinned evilly at her, pulling the arrow from his stomach, his flesh healing instantly, and watching her carefully. Kagome felt sick, and she rubbed her sleeve over her cheek hard, her stomach churning unpleasantly. Kagome waited, expecting a punishment for her violence, but none came; they all just watched her carefully.  
‘Don’t ever touch me again, you worthless filth. Even I’m too good for your disgusting hands,’ her tone was confident, and threatening and it made the demons nervous to hear her speaking to their leader with it. The leader leapt done, holding her chin again, his face inches from her own.  
‘You may be too _good_ for me Priestess,’ he growled, surprising her in speaking her language, though so quiet only she could hear, ‘but after Kazuya has _had_ you in his power for a few centuries, you’ll be so worn that you’ll be the lowest filth ever to walk this earth…then we’ll see who’s too good, little demon’s whore!’ he dragged her to her feet, shoving her roughly against a demon beside Inuyasha, who held beside him. ‘ _You take her,’_ the leader told one demon, referring to Sango, and the demon obeyed, picking her up. ‘ _Move out!’_ the demon ordered, and the prisoners were moved out in twos, each being pushed by a nasty demon through the passageway.  
  
Inuyasha looked to Kagome, who was held beside him, she was very pale, and was shaking violently.  
‘Are you okay?’ he asked her, thankful that only the leader seemed to know anything but that vile language, and he was at the back of the troops. Kagome shook her head.  
‘I feel really…he made me feel so sick…and the things he said…Inuyasha I don’t want Kazuya to go through with what you stopped him from-’ she stopped suddenly, finding her stomach churning even more violently. ‘If he gets me he’s going to…’ Inuyasha smiled weakly at her, and nudged her gently with his shoulder in affection this being all he could manage with his arms held behind his back by his captor.  
‘I promise, he won’t touch you, understand? I’d never let him - do that to you.’ Kagome tried to believe Inuyasha could protect her, but it just seemed very unlikely, that he could protect her from him. She found herself trying to not think about what would happen to her if Kazuya got her, and then her stomach gave a sickening lurch.  
  
Suddenly Kagome turned paper white, and Inuyasha watched her in worry. ‘Are you okay?’ She shook her head once more.  
‘I’m going to puke!’ Inuyasha stopped, and the whole patrol stopped.  
‘ _Get going you filthy hanyou scum!’_ growled his captor, though he wouldn’t move.  
‘But Kagome, she needs-’ he broke off a she received a kick in his back, and he dropped to his knees. Kagome then shook violently, and the creature holding her was so shocked that he let her fall. Inuyasha, still on the ground took advantage of the fact that the demons were too stupid to see an ill person when they saw one, pulled Kagome’s hair softly our of her face, and rubbed her back as she knelt shaking on the ground. The leader came just as Kagome’s throat wretched, and she vomited.  
‘What’s wrong with her?’ he asked Inuyasha.  
‘You,’ the hanyou replied, not looking at him, just watching Kagome softly, and patting her back. ‘Haven’t you goddamn things ever seen a person puke before?’ The demon shook his head, and Inuyasha rolled his eyes, guessing their type of demon only lived long enough to kill things or be killed, not get sick.  
  
Inuyasha didn’t know how Kagome could be sick so much, she hadn’t eaten enough. Kagome stopped finally, and flung herself into Inuyasha’s arms, crying, not caring if the demons and her friends were watching, she just didn’t care anymore. Inuyasha hugged her, trying to stop her from shaking.  
‘Is she finished yet?’ asked the demon.  
‘I should be more worried if your master will be angry that you made his _prize_ sick if I were you,’ he retaliated. Inuyasha drew to his feet, pulling Kagome up beside him.  
‘ _Keep moving!’_ ordered the leader, and they resumed positions, though walking a little faster than before. Inuyasha looked at Kagome warily, afraid she might need to be sick again, though she did not.  
‘You okay now?’ she nodded in replied.  
‘I think it was fear more than anything else, and when that demon touched me, and the things he said I suppose.’ Inuyasha nodded, though felt that maybe it definitely had more to do with what would happen to her should they fail.  
  
  
TBC


	17. The Last Sage

_The Last Sage  
Seventeen  
  
  
_ Inuyasha and the others were lead through the narrow passage, following it, to where Inuyasha partly guessed, partly remembered the centre chamber to be. All of a sudden the narrow walls opened up into the wide space that Kagome and Inuyasha knew to be the chamber containing the Black Mirror, and there sure enough it was, as calm and dark as ever, and beside it, with their back to them stood the ominous, vampire-like  
creature that was Kazuya. He turned slowly to face his prisoners, as if he were some delicate, willowy creature, moving gracefully instead of rampaging like the bloodthirsty monster he truly was. Surveying them as the creatures lined them up, still restraining them for no chains were used save for Shippo and Kilala, Inuyasha had noticed this, and taken it as confidence; confident that they would win easily, confident that the prisoners would be little trouble to them, and confident that Inuyasha would pose no threat, it infuriated him.  
  
‘So here he is, the great protector,’ they looked up helplessly from the demons’ restraint, as Kazuya’s terrifying, cloaked figure stepped slowly towards them, every blue vein visible, his skin was so white. ‘You did very good Inuyasha, kept her safe from all my minions…stopped my violation on her.’ He walked slowly to Kagome, who was held at Inuyasha’s side, and gazed at her lustfully, running his fingers down her face, making the priestess flinch in revulsion. ‘Such a shame, I was looking forward to making her my whore. Plently of time for that however...’ As his pallid, spider-like fingers ran down her side, Inuyasha leapt at him with ferocity.  
‘Keep the hell away from her you bastard!’ Inuyasha went to lunge at the smug demon, but his human form was not strong enough to break free of the demons’ vice-like restraint.  
  
Kazuya grinned maliciously, watching Inuyasha carefully.  
‘You are powerless Hanyou, keep silent!’ Inuyasha growled nastily at him, every part of him aching to charge and rip Kazuya apart. ‘But, my dear Kagome, you look unwell,’ he said, turning to face her once more. Kagome would not raise her eyes to him; she hated him more with every moment that passed.  
‘I suppose it’s the company,’ she replied, making him let out a low, evil laugh. Kazuya looked to the leader of the demons, not saying anything, just waiting for him to speak.  
‘ _Sir,’_ he said, in his own tongue, ‘ _the girl came over strange, she vomited.’  
_ ‘Aaah,’ said Kazuya calmly as if he had just realized something, ‘and what my simple _Mradurk_ , might have caused her to I wonder?’ he asked dangerously calmly, leaning towards Inuyasha, and pulling Tetsusaiga out of its sheath. He swished it about, making the air whip around it. ‘This is a good sword Inuyasha; I must say I take back what I said about it. Your father certainly showed you favour when you got it,’ he let his calmness and confidence daunt Inuyasha and the others a little more, before continuing, ‘yes, where was I? Oh, of course,’ he swiped at the demon with Tetsusaiga, and its blood splattered everywhere, as its head fell to the floor, inches from its body.  
  
Kazuya sighed as a satisfied businessman might on a job well done, wiping the blade, and sliding it back in its sheath at Inuyasha’s waist. ‘Now, Kagome,’ he said, and she at last looked at him. ‘How are you?’ his voice was so polite is sickened her, and she looked away again. Kazuya flickered his eyes at the demon holding her, and he immediately let her go, leaving her standing freely beside Inuyasha and Miroku. ‘You seem a little more…clothed than when I last saw you,’ Miroku, Shippo and Kilala’s eyes widened, Inuyasha had not told them what had happened to Kagome, he thought that maybe she would feel ashamed of it, which indeed she was. Her eyes grew glassy, as she knew what her friends must be thinking of her. ‘Though I have to disagree, Inuyasha may love to dress you up in clothes that his brother gives you, may love to cover up that-’ he ran his fingers slowly up and down her neck, ‘-lovely skin of yours but I have to say,’ he stepped towards her, ‘I think you look better without them.’ Kagome was upset, angry, and afraid, she didn’t care anymore. She raised her hand and slapped his face, tears streaming from her mahogany eyes.  
  
Kazuya looked at her as if he might smile for a moment, but then lunged at her, making the others try to wrench themselves from their captors in an attempt to help her. Kazuya grabbed her wrists, and poked her hard in the stomach where her bruise still was, and she winced. ‘Kagome, Kagome, Kagome, I was so hoping you’d cooperate, it would be so much easier for you if you did,’ he said in a false kindness, jabbing her harder, so that she whimpered slightly. ‘But of course,’ he whispered to her, so that no one else could hear, ‘you think you will end up with Inuyasha, don’t you?’ Kagome’s eyes widened. ‘But my dear, after what I’m going to do to you, do you really think he’ll have you, do you really think he’ll want to touch or even look at you?’ Kagome started crying again, and Inuyasha watched Kazuya’s mouth carefully, trying to read his words, though he couldn’t manage it.  
  
Kazuya grabbed a clump of Kagome’s hair, and threw her across the ground away from the others, so that she skidded to a halt at the side of the black pool. Kazuya walked to her side, and turned to face the others, a forebodingly calm look on his face.  
‘Tell me Inuyasha, why does the prey come so freely to the predator? Why are you here when you are so helpless?’ Inuyasha looked back at him, unsure himself why he was here. Why had his brother insisted he came here tonight? Especially since he knew beyond doubt that Sesshomaru was on his side in this battle; but if he wanted Inuyasha to win, why would he send him here now? Why would he want him to get killed?  
  
Suddenly Inuyasha found himself being thrown to the floor, landing hard on his knees, hearing Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kilala being thrown down beside him. ‘How rude Inuyasha, not speaking when you’re spoken to, surely that worthless mortal mother must have taught you some manners?’ Inuyasha leapt up in response to the words, and smacked Kazuya across the face. Kazuya grinned evilly, no bruise or injury resulting from Inuyasha’s attack showing, and punched Inuyasha in the stomach. Inuyasha crumpled to the floor, Miroku looking worriedly at him from his side. ‘Sorry, I forgot,’ continued Kazuya in a mocking tone as Inuyasha crumpled on the floor, ‘she’s dead isn’t she, like all the rest of the little sluts that dare go with demons. Just like the rest of them,’ he muttered to Inuyasha, looking over at Kagome for a moment as he spoke, before turning back to Inuyasha again. ‘All of them that follow you seem to die don’t they Inuyasha,’ he said, ‘her,’ he gestured to Sango, lying on the floor beside him, her eyes closed, ‘your mother, Kikyo, _probably_ Kagome, all little whores that trusted you, and you let them down.’ Inuyasha looked away from him, his arm round his stomach, shaking slightly with the strain it was putting over his body just fighting not to collapse on the ground.  
  
Inuyasha winced as Kazuya knelt down before him, and he could tell he was only inches from his face, even as his eyes closed in pain. ‘I’m going to kill you slowly…and while you beg for death, I want you to imagine how I’m gonna fuck your whore for the rest of eternity, and how she’ll _plead_ for death, long before yours comes…’  
‘Shut up,’ said Inuyasha croakily. ‘If you’re gonna kill me then kill me, just stop talking for fuck sake! Your voice is driving me crazy!’ Kazuya grabbed Inuyasha by the throat, holding him up so that his feet did not touch the floor, his claws digging into his throat.  
‘Now, now, Inuyasha, your language is terrible, I think someone should wash out that filthy mouth of yours,’ his voice was mocking, much like a father might scold a child, and suddenly he sent Inuyasha hurtling through the air, plunging into the icy depths of the Black Mirror. Inuyasha choked as he swallowed some of the nasty water, translucent and quick flowing as water but weighing as heavily upon him as tar. The silver-haired hanyou winced the foul, coppery taste in his mouth, struggling to swim back up to the surface.  
  
He opened his eyes, wincing as they stung with the water; all about him was nothing but thick impenetrable darkness. His body felt ten times heavier than before, and his attempts to reach the surface were all in vain. Suddenly he felt a hand seize his wrist, and pull him up sharply. He gasped as he took in some air, his throat being torn at by the icy water he’d swallowed. He opened his dark human eyes once more, to see Kagome beside him, looking worriedly at him.  
‘Thanks,’ he gasped, fighting to get his breath back. ‘Are you okay?’ It was a stupid question, of course she wasn’t, blood dripped from her lip still from where he’d attacked her earlier, and a new gash had appeared on her forehead where Kazuya had thrown her across the floor, not to mention she was shaking all over, yet so was he. ‘That water was fucking cold,’ he shivered, before shaking himself off much like a puppy dog might have. ‘I don’t know what Sesshomaru was thinking, there’s no way I can beat him,’ he muttered to Kagome, watching Kazuya carefully as he ranted and raved at his demon followers. ‘If hanyou me couldn’t beat him, then how am I supposed to do it as a human? It’s impossible…’  
‘No it’s not,’ argued Kagome, her voice a little shaky. ‘Sesshomaru was right, only human you can defeat him.’  
‘Don’t be stupid, there’s no way I can-’  
‘Will you just listen to me for once!’ she interrupted him, her voice still quiet though. ‘Why do you think that Kazuya did not come to face you himself when you were human in the temple before with Kikyo and me, he was afraid, he knew that hanyou Inuyasha’s weakness was wanting to become a demon, but human Inuyasha has no selfish desires that he could use to kill you.’  
  
Inuyasha fell silent for a moment. If she were right about that, he still had to find a way to kill him as a human, and he had no idea how to do that.  
‘What…what makes you think that I’m not selfish as a human? I’m still me as a human, just in a different body. Weren't _you_ the one that told me that?’  
‘Yes, but I know you Inuyasha, when was the last time you did something selfish?’ Inuyasha lowered his head slightly.  
‘You – you told me I was selfish when I helped Kikyo, remember?’ Kagome looked at him with glassy eyes; he was right, she had said that.  
‘I – I did say that, and I’m sorry to say that I meant it,’ Inuyasha’s heart sank even lower. ‘But I said something else to you after that, and I meant that as well.’ Kagome slipped her hand into his, and he raised his eyes to look at her. ‘You’re my hero, Inuyasha…’ Kagome thought she saw a tear trickle down his face, before he looked away from her again.  
  
All of a sudden, Inuyasha flew backwards, his head jutting over the edge of the pool, as Kazuya pounced on him, clawing at his throat, trying to push his head under.  
‘Why won’t you die!’ screamed Kazuya, for the first time fear trembling in his screaming voice, as he desperately tried to push Inuyasha under.  
‘NO!’ screamed Kagome, leaping at Kazuya, trying to wrench his arm away. Kazuya flung his arm back, sending Kagome flying into the wall, smacking her skull against the stone.  
‘Kagome!’ croaked Inuyasha, as he watched her slide slowly down the wall, sinking to the floor in a heap, a trail of blood sliding down the wall in her path. Inuyasha’s eyes widened as he watched her blood pool at where her body lay, her eyes wide, and lifeless. ‘KAGOME!’ Kazuya’s eyes glowed a dangerous red as Inuyasha fought to stay surfaced; he swallowed more water as he fought for air, fighting Kazuya with every ounce of strength he had left. He wrenched himself above water just in time to watch Miroku being stabbed through the stomach by his attacker’s archaic looking scythe, and to hear the painful screams of agony from Kilala and Shippo, just as he was submerged once more. His strength was fading fast, as was his air supply, and he choked on the icy liquid as Kazuya held him under. Finally, Inuyasha could fight no more, and he closed his eyes, and dropped down into the water as Kazuya let him fall into its depths again. _They’re gone…_ he thought, _Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kilala and now me…all gone…all…_ Inuyasha felt it take him over, and he felt his soul being tugged away from him, as he slipped closer and closer towards death. As Inuyasha died slowly in the pool’s depths, sinking into the abyss that was the mirror, Kagome’s blood swam from her body, and ran into the Black Mirror. The water glowed a blindingly bright light as the blood poured into it, and for Inuyasha, the world went black.  
  
Suddenly Inuyasha opened his eyes, his body aching all over. He was lying on a stone table, which sat on a floating platform, it seemed to be made of the same, shimmering glass of the glass path, yet strange, glowing, sapphire hued symbols were etched there. Inuyasha shot up off the table, looking wildly about him. Nothing but blackness surrounded the platform, nothing but a calm, quiet nothingness, he was completely alone. ‘Is this…is this hell?’ he said aloud, his voice echoing slightly.  
‘This is not hell.’ Inuyasha jumped as he heard the reply, a calm, dulcet voice, strange and unfamiliar, and yet beautiful and inviting. He turned, his eyes widening as two crystal blue eyes appeared from the abyss, followed by the materialization of a woman, who looked all too familiar. Long black hair hung down her back, and some white robe was wrapped round her as she stepped, no glided slowly towards him.  
‘Ka…Kagome?’ the woman shook her head, and he knew as he said it he was wrong. She did look very like Kagome, in fact the only difference was the startling blue of her eyes, but everything else was the same, down to the very tone of her skin, she was exact. Even more liken to her than Kikyo was. ‘No, you’re…you’re Yuna?’ The woman nodded, and stopped inches before him, making his breath hitch in his throat. ‘What do you want with me?’  
‘Nothing,’ she replied, her calm voice vibrating through the air softly, instead of echoing as his did. ‘I’m here to help you.’  
‘Help me what?’ he asked, having no idea what she meant.  
‘You watched her die…Kagome, and the others, didn’t you?’  
  
At first Inuyasha had no idea what she meant, and then slowly it all came back to him, the battle, the death…and he fought to stop tears from falling down his cheeks.  
‘But how did you…how did you get here?’ he asked shakily, trying to push the vision of Kagome’s dead eyes staring at him, as the blood ran towards him, out of his mind.  
‘Kagome’s blood ran into the pool, and her blood, and my blood, they were the only innocent blood to run into the Black Mirror, she summoned me, with her dying breath, to save you.’ She watched him carefully, seeing that he was fighting to stay sane after watching all of his friends butchered. ‘Your brother was right when he told you that you had to be human to kill Kazuya, understand Inuyasha,’ she added a little more firmly as he rolled his eyes. ‘Kazuya is so evil, that only something pure can defeat him. You must understand that the greatest force of evil can only be killed by the greatest force of good.’ Inuyasha said nothing. 'If there were any part of you impure, meaning _demon_ when you fell into the pool, I would not have been able to heed Kagome's dying wish. Should you have been half-demon or full demon then, you would have remained dead, and Kazuya would most definately triumph.'  
  
Inuyasha wasn’t really listening to her anymore, he'd just watched them all die, all the reasons he still fought, all the reasons he'd strived and fought through so many painful times for, he didn’t care if Kazuya killed him, or ripped apart half the world anymore, he didn’t care about anything at all anymore. A great swirling abyss, much like the one surrounding him, filled him up inside where his heart, where the warmth the others’ presence once gave him, where now he was cold, and empty.  
‘I’m not pure, I’m not great, and I can’t kill Kazuya,’ he stated. Yuna watched him carefully, before replying.  
‘I know you can’t Inuyasha.’ Inuyasha’s eyes widened as he looked at her, he had expected her to tell him that he could, or that no one else could, instead she had…agreed? ‘As good, as true as you are, you aren’t, and could never be pure, because you’re body has known demon blood. In addition, in your purest form, you are not strong enough to kill Kazuya, whereas…I am.’  
  
Inuyasha knew what she meant now. Kagome’s blood had summoned her to help them, it had been pure enough to pass through the blackness, and seek out Yuna’s spirit. Now Inuyasha was confused; how could she help? Yuna could not be resurrected, how could she fight him? As if she had read his thoughts, she answered his questions. ‘I cannot be resurrected, no, Inuyasha. However, I do not plan to return to my human body, when I have my own.’ Inuyasha eyed her in confusion. ‘You see the Sages never killed me as they scripted, they wrote that so that evil would not know, that I didn’t die, I ascended.’ Inuyasha was now beginning to understand, and he studied her carefully. ‘I never died, yet I’m not my mortal self anymore. I was purer than even the Sages could ever have imagined, and so I ascended, and became celestial.’  
‘Then what…what are you?’ he asked.  
‘I’m the last Sage…’  
‘But the Sages were all men?’  
‘They were, when they were sealed, I became the first female Sage, and was set to guard over the temple, and protect it, should agents of dark magic try to resurrect it, and attain the evil inside.’  
  
She fell silent, as if she knew that Inuyasha was struggling to figure all this out in his head.  
‘But then why did I need to come here as a human if you were the only one to-’  
‘Your brother, wise as he is, didn’t know about me, he believed that you would be the one to defeat Kazuya. However, he was incorrect. My actual hunch, Inuyasha, though I can guess you'll scoff at the idea...was that your brother, believed you safest in your purest form...since he knew Kazuya feared your mortal form, though he knew not why." Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Knowing full well Sesshomaru didn't give a damn about his welfare, and that keeping him safe wasn't even of remote importance to his sibling.  
‘Right I get that, so how can you help me? I’m already dead.’  
‘You are, as are your friends, but for me to go back, we _all_ have to go back.’  
‘Huh?’ She smiled at him, and his heart lit up, it was Kagome’s smile.  
‘Kagome’s blood summoned me, so I need to go back to before it was spilled, understand?’ he nodded slightly, and his heart leapt.  
‘So – so will Kagome...will she be okay?’ Yuna smiled again, obviously touched at his feelings. ‘Please that’s all I…all I ask of you is…’  
‘I will go back to that moment just before Kazuya hit her, you will have to stop the others’ deaths when we return, I will take care of Kazuya.’  
  
On speaking Kazuya’s name, her voice became different for those three syllables, changing rapidly, and becoming strong, and angry, before returning to normal.  
‘But didn’t you…I thought you were in love with Kazuya?’ She looked at him oddly.  
‘I was, and I _am_ in love with him. I fell in love with him, and I knew he was the most evil, most wicked thing the earth had faced only afterwards, and then I was gone too far to change my heart, I had fallen too hard for him. And I believe, that what strengthened Kazuya that much more so that the Sages could only seal him, not kill him, was that…he had fallen in love with me…’ He watched her with a sad heart, as radiant tears trickled from her sapphire eyes. ‘I know it may seem unlikely, but I know that he loves me…you know as well as I do that a demon cannot lie when he confesses love, don’t you?’ Inuyasha nodded.  
'You mean he... _mated_ with you...?' She nodded in response to his question.  
'And the divine demon ancestry would not have allowed the coupling if he were harbouring anything less than complete devotion and love to me alone...'  
  
She shook her head and smiled reassuringly at him, as if looking into some depths of his mind and heart, and reading his inner most feelings. ‘Now Inuyasha, are you ready to return?’ For a moment Inuyasha didn’t realize what she had said, but he hastily nodded as he returned from the dream world he had found himself slipping into, as if Yuna reading his desires had brought them closer to the surface. ‘Okay, take my hand.’ Inuyasha did as he was told, and shivered slightly. Her skin was ice cold, much like the water Kazuya had just drowned him in, moments before. As her slender, delicate fingers wound around his wrist, Inuyasha found himself rising slowly up off the floor, higher and higher into the nothingness overhead. Suddenly, the blinding light that had taken his life, now shone again, giving it back to him, and he gasped as his soul swam back into his flesh. He looked up into the fiery eyes of Kazuya, finding himself desperate for breath once more, as Kazuya pinned him against the ground, his head nearly touching the water.  
  
  
TBC


	18. Reanimation and Repentance

_Reanimation and Repentance  
Eighteen  
  
  
_ In realisation of what had happened, Inuyasha watched in confusion as Kagome threw herself over Kazuya, trying to pull him off. ‘Get down Kagome!’ choked Inuyasha, though Kagome ignored him. Inuyasha watched helplessly as the same thing happened all over again. Kazuya threw Kagome off him, and she flew backwards, hurtling towards the same stone wall.  
  
Suddenly, her body froze in midair, a dazzling, white light radiated from her pale skin, and everything in the chamber stopped. Everyone turned to watch her in confusion. Inuyasha’s eyes widened as he watched the blood from her wounds and the bruises around her throat fade from her skin, as the light shone all the brighter. All of a sudden, the light faded, leaving just a dim glow to her skin, as she dropped gently to her feet, and her eyes flickered open. Inuyasha was startled to see the once beautiful deep hazel of her eyes, now replaced by an eerie, bright blue, as she stepped slowly towards Kazuya.  
  
Kazuya released Inuyasha slowly, and got to his feet, ignoring Inuyasha completely now, and facing his attention upon Kagome, his eyes wide in amazement. Inuyasha stumbled to his feet, watching Kazuya’s expression closely as Kagome neared him, and surprised to find what looked like the beginnings of a smile on his face. It was not the cruel, wicked smile that seemed to twist his face to make him look more ominous, but a sincere, innocent smile, that could have belonged to a small child.  
‘I know that aura anywhere,’ he muttered, as Kagome stopped before him, ‘you’re not Kagome…you’re…Yuna.’ Kagome tilted her head slightly, but then nodded. There it was, the smile threatening at the sides of his thin mouth, spread over his face, and Inuyasha noticed how different he now looked; no longer sinister and malicious, but human likenesses and even hints of kindness in his face now showed. ‘Y-Yuna?’ he asked, his voice trembling.  
‘Yes,’ she replied, and with her voice echoing, sounding as if two different voices were all playing at the same time. Inuyasha knew what was happening, Yuna needed to come back to this time, to before Kagome died, because she needed to use Kagome’s body to fight Kazuya. _So hers was the body that Yuna said she **had**_ , he thought. Then Yuna turned to look at him.  
‘But why Kagome’s body?’ he asked her, and she smiled at him, ignoring Kazuya for the moment.  
‘Because Kagome’s blood summoned me,’ she replied, then turning to look at Kazuya once more, ‘Kazuya.’  
  
Kazuya watched her carefully, clearly lost at how Inuyasha knew her, and Inuyasha thought that he saw those crimson orbs begin to glass over with tears.  
‘I thought…I watched them burn you…the runes said that you were killed, and could never be resurrected.’ She watched him, not saying anything. ‘I tried to get you back from the dead, god knows I tried, but I…I thought you were gone forever…’ She stepped closer to him.  
‘I know you tried, and you couldn’t resurrect me because I am not dead.’  
‘But, you’re a spirit, that’s how you can get inside Kagome’s-’  
‘Yes, but they never killed me. The ritual you witnessed - them burning me didn’t kill me it…made me one of them.’ Kazuya’s eyes widened.  
‘You’re a…Sage?’ She nodded once more, and Inuyasha watched Kazuya’s expression soften even more. ‘I thought that you…I thought I’d never see you again…’  
  
Inuyasha was surprised to find that as Kazuya softened, Yuna became more and more icy, and showed him less and less affection.  
‘Evidently,’ she muttered, staring coldly at Kazuya, and making him look confusedly at her. ‘You told me long ago, that loving me allowed you to make the decision, to be a better man…you told me, you swore to me that you’d never kill or harm another living thing again…’ Kazuya stepped closer to her.  
‘It’s not as simple as that-’  
‘-Did you or did you not swear that to me?’ she demanded, her dulcet tone changing swiftly into an echoing thunderous voice.  
‘I did swear it, I don’t deny it,’ he replied, his usual attitude and expression returning fast. ‘But you never had to watch that! You never had to watch the one you love die!’  
‘I watched my father die because of you!’ she shouted, ‘and I still loved you, but don’t you _dare_ tell me that what you saw changed anything! Even if I had died, I would have died because of you…’ He flinched slightly at her words, making everyone in the chamber, including the demons look at him in surprise.  
‘Don’t say that…’  
‘Why not? It’s true, and breaking your promise to me would have been a _great_ way to repay me for dying for you!’  
  
For a moment the whole chamber fell silent, and Kazuya studied the ground as Yuna watched him with angry eyes.  
‘So this is it is it? You’re going to stand with the half-demon instead of me…you’re going to try to kill me, aren’t you?’ She stepped forward, her expression softening, and she took the fear demon’s calloused hand in both of hers, and smiled radiantly at him.  
‘I’m here to set things right, and Inuyasha _is_ right, but that doesn’t mean I have to kill you-’  
‘If you stand with the hanyou then you _will_ have to,’ he snarled. She still smiled, and stroked the back of his hand with her thumbs.  
‘Is that what you want? You want me to fight against you?’  
‘Would you?’ he asked. She smiled again, and closed her eyes for a moment before looking up at him once more.  
‘I…love you enough, to want to put you right, I love you enough to want you to be at peace…and I love you _more_ than enough to be able to be angry with you…’ Kazuya sneered slightly.  
‘You’re saying because you love me, you will fight me?’ She nodded. ‘Well aren’t you lucky…because I feel…the same WAY!’ He scratched at her hand, and blood poured from it as she pulled away from him sharply.  
  
This sudden outburst seemed to be the sign to the demon followers of Kazuya to continue; they leapt at Miroku so suddenly it made Inuyasha jump nearly out of his skin. As Inuyasha watched as Miroku was swiped nastily across the chest by one of the demons, he remembered that there were other deaths he had to prevent, and he dodged the burning flames that soared towards him as Yuna deflected Kazuya’s attack, and scrambled forward to help Miroku and the others. Inuyasha seized Tetsusaiga from the ground where it had fallen, and leapt forward, slicing of the head off the demon that attacked Miroku.  
‘Thanks,’ gasped the monk as he fought to catch his breath. Inuyasha ducked as a snarling demon leapt at Miroku from behind, and Miroku flipped him over onto the ground at his feet. A repulsive crunch could be heard as Miroku smacked the demon’s skull in with his staff, and looked with a bloodstained face at Inuyasha, as if he were a child waiting for praise. With a small grin Inuyasha looked down at the dead corpse with approval, and then to Miroku.  
‘Nice,’ he said, before hearing a pained scream from Shippo. Inuyasha sprang from Miroku’s side, and landed in the middle of a horde of screeching demons.  
  
Shippo whimpered his thanks as Inuyasha scooped him up onto his shoulder, savagely lunging at and slaughtering the surrounding demons. Shippo whinged squeakily as the demon’s blood splattered all over Inuyasha and himself in turn and desperately swiped at his face to get it off, though only making himself into a bigger mess. Inuyasha clucked his tongue impatiently, and wiped the blood off the kitsune’s face with the sleeve of his kimono, as a pile of demon corpses lay strewn about him.  
‘That was quick,’ muttered Shippo, still sulking slightly at blood landing all over him. ‘I thought that you were supposed to be weaker as a human.’ Usually a remark like this would probably earn the kitsune a smack from Inuyasha, though Inuyasha, far from being angry, nodded his head in agreement.  
‘Something’s wrong with them, they were so much tougher before…’  
‘Before what?’ Shippo squeaked confusedly.  
  
Before Inuyasha had chance to even begin to explain, a roar, mixed between agony and anger echoed through the chamber, and Inuyasha turned to watch the demons leap towards Kilala. Inuyasha jumped forward to help her, only to receive a whack in his skull from a massive hammer that one of the demons was carrying. Miroku kicked the demon aside, and rushed to Inuyasha, only to see that Kilala had been protecting Sango’s body, that still lay lifeless and still on the ground. Tears poured from the monk’s eyes, and he turned to Inuyasha.  
‘You okay?’  
‘Aaaah! My fucking head hurts! Just cut it off for god’s sake! That was a mean weapon to use on me…’ he whimpered the last part, and Miroku tore some material from his own kimono, trying to stop Inuyasha from bleeding.  
‘You should live if I can stop the bleed-’  
‘MIROKU WATCH OUT!’ screamed Inuyasha, and Miroku turned, leaping out of the way just in time as the demon returned, the hammer dropping into the ground beside Inuyasha, narrowly missing him. Miroku smiled at Inuyasha as he jumped up from the ground, attracting the attacks towards himself rather than the badly wounded Inuyasha.  
‘That’s a big hammer,’ he giggled as he looked to Inuyasha, ‘think he’s compensating for something else?’ he asked with a grin. Inuyasha tried to smile back, but his head hurt at his attempts. Inuyasha thought the demon must have knocked half his skull in the pain was so severe, and all he could do was watch helplessly as Miroku continued to dodge the hammer blows, and Kilala and Shippo fought to fend off the last demons, but no matter how many demons lay dead on the ground, no matter how much of their blood was spilled, there were still many left, and the strength of Inuyasha and the others was fading fast, they needed a miracle.  
  
Kazuya roared in anger as Yuna leapt at him, and kicked him full strength in his stomach, sending him flying into the wall. Blood poured down his neck from where his head had hit the wall; however as a demon this wound was not as fatal to him as it had been to Kagome.  
‘Well Yuna, never thought you was such a sadistic little thing, like it rough do you?’ he screamed, though only receiving another kick in return. Blood poured from his mouth and he spat it on the floor as he scrambled to his feet. ‘P-p-please Yuna,’ he stuttered, more blood pouring from his mouth. ‘You can’t kill me; you’re too pure to take a life.’  
‘I told you, I’d give up anything for you,’ she said sadly, sinking her fingernails into his throat as she lifted him from the floor and smashed his head against the wall. ‘I’d even give up my purity to give you peace.’ Kazuya snarled at her, and sunk his teeth into her arm, before sending her flying across the chamber.  
‘The only time I was ever at peace was when I was at your side, and those bastards took it away! I had spilled no blood except for my mother’s which wasn't my fault! I had regretted and repented for every moment of my pitiful life! They thought my mother was a whore anyway, why should they care? But still, _I_ was innocent and they’d killed both of us! How can you serve them?’ he screamed, spitting blood everywhere.  
  
Yuna stood up, tears falling silently down her pale face that was marked with various scratches and wounds from Kazuya.  
‘They killed you because you were descended from the darkest and most evil of demons. It wasn’t fair I know, and it was cruel, but the Sages are dead, don’t take this out on the world, Inuyasha, Kagome…none of them have done-’  
‘-But _I_ was innocent! They are innocent, and so was I! Those bastards did this to this world, not me! I take every life that they took, not just mine, thousands of innocent souls rest below your very feet in the glass path, lost for eternity because they were too blind to see that they weren’t guilty-’  
‘-You take lives in revenge…but you tried to…you tried to rape Kagome...didn’t you?’ Kazuya stopped before her, about to hit her. ’Why did you do that?’ she asked him.  
‘I – I-’  
‘-The only reason these people are targeted was because of her…and you condemned them by singling her out, because she looked like me?’  
‘I wanted…I wanted to get back what they took from me…’  
‘But Kagome isn’t me, Kazuya…’  
‘I know she’s not…I hoped that…I hoped that it wouldn’t matter to me, I hoped that if I took her, that I wouldn’t care, and that I’d…’  
‘Forget me?’  
‘No! Never, I wanted to…I – I don’t know why…’  
  
Yuna got to her feet.  
‘And why do you fight me now Kazuya, if none of this is your fault, why do you have to fight me?’  
‘Because...because you want me to give in…I’m not going back to that path, to that abyss of torment – I WON’T, YOU HEAR ME I WON’T!’ he screamed, and smacked Yuna across the jaw, and sent her skidding across the ground once more. 'I WON'T GO BACK TO HEARING THE CONSTANT PAIN AND SUFFERING FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY!' She snatched his clawed hand as he went to punch her again, and threw him backwards, making him hurtling through the air, and fall backwards into the dark depths of the black mirror.  
  
The black waters of the pool trembled, and surged upwards with terrible force, blinding sparks of electric energy entwined with the waters, all encircling Kazuya as he roared in anger, his crimson eyes glowing a blood red as he soared towards Yuna. Yuna screamed as the electricity scolded her skin, and the water sank painfully through every pore in her body, drowning her from the inside.  
‘Kagome!’ screamed Inuyasha as her watched this happening, knowing that it wasn’t Kagome, but that it was her body, and soul somewhere amongst Yuna’s.  
'I took the lives of but a handful of the sages that took my life away, that made you and your family die because of _my_ existance, and for revenging the people I love, I was condemned! What sort of senseless logic is that?' Kazuya clasped his clawed hands to Yuna’s throat, and she sank to the ground at his feet, drowning, and choking and burning, all under the hostile gaze of the person she loved.  
  
Yuna screamed painfully as the searing pain threatened to overwhelm her, and Inuyasha, and everybody could hear within her scream, the deafening echo that was Kagome screaming along with Yuna inside the same body. Suddenly the demon that Miroku had been distracting knocked Miroku aside, and leapt at Inuyasha, sending the hammer thundering downwards, and crushing Inuyasha’s arm. Inuyasha screamed in agony, and amongst the screams of Yuna, Kagome’s terrified voice called out.  
‘INUYASHA!’ Kazuya let go of Yuna and she dropped to her knees, the water spurting from her mouth mix with blood as she coughed heavily, and random sparks of left over electricity shot out of her in an aftermath.  
  
‘You see,’ muttered Kazuya gasping for breath, ‘you can’t beat me, My Love, you know very well this isn’t even my full power.’ Yuna stopped coughing, and looked up at him, shaking slightly. She picked up a bloodied demon’s knife from her side that had been dropped, and thrust it into Kazuya’s hand.  
‘You’re right,’ she gasped, holding his wrist, making the blade rest against her throat. ‘So kill me, end it now.’  
‘NO!’ screamed Inuyasha, ‘If you die Kagome will die too!’ Suddenly the demon that had attacked him with the hammer lunged again. Inuyasha flinched, closing his eyes, waiting for the end to come. He opened his eyes moments later, realising something was wrong, only to see the same demon’s corpse at his side, and Kilala standing over him triumphantly, blood dripping from her fur. Inuyasha tried to lift his head to look about them, but the pain was too severe, and he winced.  
  
Kazuya looked deep into Yuna’s eyes as she knelt at his feet, and she held his hand that clasped the blade close to her throat.  
‘If you will not come back with me…then kill me.’ Kazuya shifted his hand, making the blade cut into her skin lightly, and he began pressuring it more, and more, making Yuna wince. Tears poured from her eyes as she looked up into Kazuya’s, and he closed his eyes, not bearing to look at her as he did what he did. His hand moved swiftly, and the knife dropped. Kazuya dropped to his knees before Yuna, and looked at her for a moment, before his crimson eyes watered slightly, and tears poured from them. Yuna cried as she hugged the demon tight, the both of them shaking slightly. The revolting dead bodies of the demons surrounding faded into nothing, and the Black Mirror glistened, shining calmly once more, as the fires on the torches dimmed down, so that all was dark.  
  
The firefly like spirits from the path materialised from nowhere, lighting up the chamber. However suddenly, they weren’t angry anymore, suddenly they were, dare it be said…at peace. The dancing lights shimmering and flowed around the two, the silence broken by Kazuya’s sad, stuttering voice.  
‘I – I‘m ready…to be repaid for my sins,’ he muttered, closing his eyes, ‘I’m ready to accept the fate of those who take lives – I’m ready to be punished…’ Yuna hugged him tighter, still crying.  
‘You’re not going to be punished…’ she whispered, ‘you’re coming back with me.’  
‘But…but I’ve done terrible-’  
‘-And you'll repent for them, and the punishment you’ll have, is what you’ll give yourself. You’ve only ever killed evil, the rest of the sins were not fatal, just harmful. A heavy conscience is the worst payment for a sin, especially as heavy with sin as yours is. You have to live with your mistakes for eternity, knowing what you’ve done…and you’ll have to live it with me.’ She smiled at him, and the lights that were the spirits faded from view along with Kazuya, as the torches flickered back to life, and Yuna got to her feet, wiping her tears from the porcelain face of Kagome.  
  
She hurried over to Inuyasha and the others, who winced slightly at the sudden brightness of the chamber. ‘Hurry there’s not a lot of time,’ she said, looking about her. ‘Kazuya’s evil energy was what this temple was built for. All of you together, I’m going to send you back to your corner of the world, where you’ll be able to get help for your wounds. But the temple and my power will fade with the sunrise - the first one after Kazuya’s evil had vanished.’  
‘Is he going to die?’ asked Shippo.  
‘No,’ she replied quickly, ‘he’s immortal he cannot die, and he has suffered, far more than he'd deserved I believe, but he will repent, I promise. Now please hasten yourselves, the sun is about to rise; unless you want to stay here for eternity, hurry!’  
  
With a mass of flames Kilala transformed back, Shippo at her side, nuzzling against Inuyasha hand, where he patted her weakly, in thanks for saving his life…or had she? Inuyasha winced as blood continued to pour from his head wound, and his arm was broken. ‘Don’t worry,’ Yuna assured him, ‘when you transform into a hanyou again, your wounds will heal quicker, and will not be as painful to you…and you’ll have Kagome at your side…’ Inuyasha nearly smiled as she said the last part, though again it was too much a strain on his body. Yuna looked over to where Miroku was, tears pouring down his face, as he held Sango’s body close to him. Miroku carried her over to the others, still crying silently, tears now pouring from both Shippo and Kilala’s eyes as well. Yuna seemed to also be crying, and Inuyasha, whose eyes were glassy, wondered if it was because Kagome was crying.  
  
Yuna leant forward, and pulled Sango out of Miroku’s arms, and Sango lay in Yuna’s arms, tears falling onto her cold face. Yuna leant down, still crying, and placed a kiss on Sango’s forehead. A blinding bright light engulfed the group, and wind rushed past them, carrying them in their current positions away from the temple. Inuyasha looked around him, the orange light from the sunrise about to peak up from the horizon. The well sat beside them a little way off, and Yuna released Sango back into Miroku’s arms, looking to Inuyasha. ‘Everything’s okay now,’ she assured him, before the sky shone a wash of pinks, lavenders and oranges, her head was thrown forcible back, so that the tresses of black silky hair flew about her, and Inuyasha watched as a white, firefly like light emerged from her body, and faded away into the air. She dropped her head back down, looking down at Inuyasha again, the startling blueness of her crystal eyes gone, she was Kagome again, hazel orbs glittering with tears as she looked back at him.  
  
As soon as she was able to look at him again through her own eyes, his black hair and dark eyes were silver silk and golden orbs once more, dog ears, fangs and claws back in their place as she looked at him, he was a hanyou again. Inuyasha sat up, and Kagome threw herself at him, throwing her arms tightly round him.  
‘W-what did she mean?’ he stuttered, trying not to cry in both relief and sadness, ‘everything’s okay now?’ Kagome looked up at him, the temptation to kiss him nearly overwhelming.  
‘She meant-’  
‘-Sango!’ they turned to see Miroku, smiling and crying at the same time, as he stared into Sango’s eyes, as they opened, she was alive! ‘But – but how?’  
‘Yuna,’ replied Kagome, as Sango came slowly to her sense, and began to blush at Miroku holding her, ‘Yuna brought her back to life, before returning to the temple...and Kazuya.’ She looked from Sango and Miroku, back to Inuyasha, she smiled warmly at him, and he smiled back. A great warmth that she hadn’t felt in so long, a warmth she had feared Kazuya’s fog had chased away, and she felt it as Inuyasha met her eyes, returned her smile, and his fingers entwined with hers under the first sunrise after the darkness of fear they had for what had seemed an eternity to be under. This great warmth was the last that she felt as Inuyasha held her hand and her gaze, before her exhaustion overcame her, and she collapsed in his arms.  
  
  
TBC


	19. Beginning of Eternity

_Beginning of Eternity_  
Nineteen  
  
  
Inuyasha walked through the glistening forest, the sun shining warmly upon him. His battle wounds had healed all save a particularly nasty slice across his stomach, though even that was on the mend. He had been sitting with Kagome, waiting for her to wake up ever since they had made it to Kaede’s village. But he had got restless waiting, and needed a walk; though secretly he knew some fresh air was not all he was looking for. His dog-ears pricked up as he sensed what he was looking for. He walked through the trees, and upon exiting the seclusion of the forest, entering a wide glade, the grass and leaves on the trees golden with the autumn that was fast approaching. And there, by the edge of the glade, leaning against a tree, was Kikyo.  
  
She looked up as he approached, and greeted him with a slight smile, before he stopped a few feet from her. As she lifted her head to smile at him, her raven hair fell back off her face, and only then did he notice how rough she looked. Bruises and cuts ran up her arms, and he saw a particularly nasty gash across her cheek, and felt a surge of guilt rise up in him. He drew to her feet slowly, and stood up, still relying on the tree for support, and he smiled back.  
‘You didn’t find what you were looking for?’ she asked quietly, her usual confident, cold tone nowhere in her exhausted voice.  
‘I was looking for you,’ he replied, stepping towards her.  
‘But you were expecting my corpse; you thought you left me for dead, didn’t you?’  
  
Inuyasha looked at her with glassy eyes, and walked a little closer, stopping inches before her.  
‘I never…I didn’t mean to-’ he was stopped by Kikyo holding a finger over his mouth.  
‘I know what you did; you chose Kagome, didn’t you?’ Inuyasha looked down at his feet, unable to reply. ‘You don’t think I can sense my own reincarnation’s agony, and you can?’ Inuyasha pulled away from her then, still not meeting her eye.  
‘Don’t do that,’ he muttered.  
‘What?’  
‘Don’t make her out to be a thing…she is a person, not some ghost of your soul.’  
‘Sorry,’ she replied quietly, sounding rather hurt; she walked slowly past him, and went to walk away, but stopped a short way from Inuyasha, gazing at the clear blue sky overhead. ‘Why did you come to find me?’ she asked. Inuyasha turned round to face her, gazing at her in confusion.  
‘I was worried about you.’  
‘After you left me to die? After you ran to Kagome’s side? After those - things could have already killed me?’ Her voice was slightly hysterical, and she shook slightly as she turned to face him.  
‘Kagome needed me, and-’  
‘And I didn’t?’  
‘You always used to tell me you never needed my help.’  
‘Things change.’  
‘Yes,’ he muttered, ‘they do.’ He turned, walking away from her.  
  
Kikyo watched him walk, but dashed to his side, turning him to face her, before he had got very far.  
‘Inuyasha wait, please, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to…I’m just so-’ she collapsed forwards into Inuyasha’s arms, and her dropped to his knees, still holding her.  
‘You’re badly wounded,’ he said, stroking her hair out of her face.  
‘So are you,’ she replied, prodding him in the stomach, making him wince slightly, before pulling him into a hug.  
‘I was worried about you…’ he muttered.  
‘But,’ she replied, pulling away slightly, so she could face him. ‘You looked into my eyes, and you still chose Kagome.’ Inuyasha did not say anything; he just gazed into her dark eyes in silence. ‘I understand now,’ she said, standing up with him drawing up with her, still hugging her slightly.  
  
Inuyasha gazed at her, knowing exactly what it was that she understood. He ran his fingers down her arms, slowly drawing away from her embrace, and stood before her, not tearing his eyes away from her.  
‘Inuyasha?’ Inuyasha spun round as he heard the quiet, dulcet sound of his name in a voice he new so well. He caught with his golden orbs, those hazel eyes, filled with disappointment, and slowly building with tears. The black silk hung loosely over her shoulders as she stood at the edge of the glaze, watching him.  
‘Kagome…I…’ he stopped, unable to say anything. She looked at him for a moment, tears falling down her porcelain face, before she turned, bolting from his sight. He wanted to go after her, needing to explain to her, but he knew better than to charge after her, he knew that would only make her worse.  
  
He looked back at Kikyo for a moment, meeting her eyes. With their eyes they spoke of what words couldn’t make each other understand, and Inuyasha turned from her, walking away and back into the cover of the trees. She watched him until he had gone from her sight, then she too left the glaze, walking in the opposite direction to Inuyasha and Kagome.  


***

It had been three days since Kagome had been to the feudal era. She had seen Inuyasha with Kikyo, and just returned to the well as an emotional wreck. She had stayed in her own time since then; she had been to school, and met with all her friends after who knew how long, whom all though the constant absences from school were down to illnesses (thanks to her grandfather). She had enjoyed spending time with her family also, though when Sota had asked her why Inuyasha hadn’t brought her home, her heart began to ache again, and she fell silent. She had left the scared jewel shards with Shippo to give to Inuyasha, so her only way back was for Inuyasha to come and get her, which he hadn’t done; though deep down, there was a small part of her, that didn’t want him to either.  
  
She had spent the evening with her friends at the movies, though she couldn’t for the life of her remember what the movie was; her thoughts the whole evening, or rather the whole three days were plagued and overwhelmed with Inuyasha. Eri and the others had planned to stay out a little longer, but seeing her in her distracted state, they had insisted Kagome was unwell, and wanted to take her home. Not wanting to spoil her friends’ fun, Kagome assured them she was just tired, and walked herself home. As she passed the well house, she stopped, pausing to watch the doors in the twilight hours, partly wondering if they were going to open any moment, and reveal a certain hanyou behind them; of course, they did not.  
  
She sighed deeply, and turned back to her house, walking slowly towards the door. She stopped suddenly, and looking down at herself she saw and arm round her stomach stopping her going further; she smiled and turned in Inuyasha’s arms, meeting a warm smile for her on the hanyou’s face.  
‘Hey,’ he said softly.  
‘Hey,’ she replied, gazing into his golden eyes. He released his grip on her, pulling something round her neck, and tying it up underneath her hair, and letting his hands fall back to his sides afterwards. Kagome looked down, letting her hands rest on the tiny bottle he had tied round her neck, which carried her jewel shards inside.  
‘You forgot these,’ he said, smiling still.  
‘No…I didn’t,’ she muttered, her smile fading as she turned, going to walk away.  
  
She stopped as she heard Inuyasha’s footsteps, knowing he was following her, and felt him stop just inches behind her. ‘I didn’t forget the - I just - I didn’t - I don’t want to go back.’ Inuyasha gazed at the back of her in confusion, as she would not face him.  
‘But, why?’  
‘There isn’t a place for me in your world…not anymore. Or maybe there never was.’  
‘Don’t be stupid,’ argued Inuyasha grabbing her round the waist and turning her to face him. ‘You did, and you still do have a place, it’s with me.’ Kagome  
pushed his hands away, stepping away from him slightly.  
‘Don’t give me that! You always do this, you say what I want to hear; you give me hope that you actually want me, all just to let me watch you go back to her! Kikyo is the one you really want at your side!’  
  
Inuyasha’s eyes widened as he gazed into her angry eyes.  
‘Is that what this is about? You still think I want Kikyo with me? Why would I want her when you’re with me?’  
‘I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?’ she argued, turning again. Inuyasha seized her arm, turning her to face him.  
‘Listen to me.’  
‘No, let go of me!’ Kagome tried to pull her wrist out of his grip, but she wasn’t strong enough; she raised her other hand, and slapped his face, making him let go. He looked at her, out of breath, a red mark over his face where she’d hit him. She gazed angrily back, a little sorry for hitting him that hard, but she knew that whatever he had to say would only make things worse. She took off the necklace with the shards sharply, and threw it back at him; he caught it, and held it loosely in his hand, still staring at her. ‘I’m not going back!’ She stood facing him, waiting for him to reply. He just stepped towards her, stopping before her and spoke quietly.  
‘You don’t have to,’ he looked sadly at his feet as he said this, and her eyes widened. ‘And you don’t have to see me again, but I want you to hear what I have to say.’ Kagome waiting, slightly afraid of what he was about to say, thinking she knew exactly what it was, but did she…? ‘You think I want Kikyo, instead of you. But I…I chose you. When you were being sacrificed by those villagers, you kept screaming my name. I, Sango, all of us including Kikyo, we were in battle. They were all charging at Kikyo, and I heard your voice; I didn’t help her…I chose you.’  
  
Kagome’s eyes widened even more, as Inuyasha stepped closer to her.  
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ she asked; he shook his head.  
‘It didn’t matter, all that mattered was that I chose, and that I know I made the right choice, because…even if Kikyo had died, I wouldn’t have regretted that I saved you, because, the fact is…I’d miss you more.’ Kagome smiled, tears pouring from her eyes, and she leapt at him, throwing her arms round his neck; Inuyasha nuzzled his face into her hair, breathing in her scent deeply. Kagome pulled back slightly, her hand tracing down his arm slipping her delicate fingers into his hand, and retrieving the necklace with the shards, watching him smile as she tied it back round her neck.  
‘I guess I’d better keep these then,’ she said quietly. Inuyasha moved closer to her his face so close to hers she could feel his hot breath on her face.  
‘I guess you should,’ he replied softly, his nose stroking against hers slightly.  
  
Kagome’s heart leapt into her throat, she felt her legs about to fail her, and only hoped they would keep her up. _Is he going to kiss me?_ She thought. Suddenly, at this thought her nervousness grew too much, and she needed to break the silence.  
‘How long is this going to last, travelling back and forth to each other’s worlds?’ she asked softly. Inuyasha nuzzled his face closer to hers, his eyes closed.  
‘As long as I need you,’ he replied in a husky voice, ‘How does eternity sound to you?’ Kagome smiled, nuzzling him back gently.  
‘Longer…’ she replied, also closing her eyes. 'Let's face it, your hopeless without me, right?' She felt him nod, sensing the smile on his lips. Then eventually she pulled away, walking from him.  
‘Where are you going?’ he called after her in bewilderment; she turned for a moment to reply.  
‘I’m gonna tell my mom I’m coming back with you. Will you wait for me?’ He nodded, and she turned again, going into the house.  
‘Ill wait for you, he whispered, ‘I’ll always be waiting for you…’  
  
  
To Be Continued in Part 2...


End file.
